residual

1. not comparableOf, relating to, or remaining as a residue; left over.

   Yet certain films leave a residual memory—such as Psycho: many people still feel uneasy showering in a motel bathroom.

   1983, Richard Ellis, The Book of Sharks, Knopf, →ISBN, page 185

   1 more example

   Abolitionists argued that race had no place in a free and democratic society as a dividing line. Economic and social policies and practices, they argued, should be race-neutral and egalitarian. Yet despite these racially egalitarian values, much abolitionist rhetoric exhibited a strong residual commitment to racialist thinking and a palpable devotion to white supremacy.

   2006, Matt Wray, Not Quite White, page 59

   Synonyms: residuary, left, left behind, left over, odd, remaining

plural residuals

1. A remainder left over at the end of some process.
2. in pluralPayments made to performers, writers and directors when a recorded broadcast is repeated.

   The tentative deal announced this week by the Writers Guild of America includes many industry-specific aspects, such as the size of writers’ rooms and improved residuals for streaming.

   2023 September 29, Adam Seth Litwin, “Want to Save Your Job From A.I.? Hollywood Screenwriters Just Showed You How.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   1 more example

   Because, despite his very small role as shark victim Alex Kintner when he was 12, Voorhees is still being paid residuals – royalties – 50 years later. Every time Jaws is on TV, he earns money. […] “It pays to die,” is how he put it in a recent interview with Syfy.

   2025 August 18, “‘You’re gonna need a bigger bank account’: how a Jaws child actor turned a fleeting appearance into a fortune”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

3. mathematicsThe difference between the observed value and the estimated value of the quantity of interest.
4. paranormalA spiritual presence left behind in a place as a result of a person's death or some other significant event.