A palace is a special class of low-rise buildings or houses which were built as aristocratic residences. Their architecture is therefore grander and generally larger in scale than typical residential constructions. It is not necessary that a palace remain in use as a residence - many of them have been converted into museums, tourist attractions, schools, and government buildings.

The original aristocratic residential purpose remains part of the building's identity. Later conversion to a public or institutional use does not erase that original form.

The exceptional scale and grandeur distinguish the palace from an ordinary residence. A castle has a separately defined fortified residential form.