remnant

American  

[rem-nuhnt] / ˈrɛm nənt /

noun

• remnants
  plural

1. a remaining, usually small part, quantity, number, or the like.

   Synonyms:

   remains, rest, residuum, residue, remainder

2. a fragment or scrap.

3. a small, unsold or unused piece of cloth, lace, etc., as at the end of a bolt.

4. a trace; vestige.

   remnants of former greatness.

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adjective

1. remaining; leftover.

remnant British  

/ ˈrɛmnənt /

noun

1. (often plural) a part left over after use, processing, etc

2. a surviving trace or vestige, as of a former era

   a remnant of imperialism

3. a piece of material from the end of a roll, sold at a lower price

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adjective

1. remaining; left over

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• remnantal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• remnants
  plural

Etymology

Origin of remnant

1300–50; Middle English remna ( u ) nt, contraction of remenant < Old French, present participle of remenoir to remain

Explanation

A remnant is something that's left over, once the rest is used up. If you plan to sew a shirt using only a remnant, it might have to be a midriff shirt. The noun remnant can also be used to refer to leftover things other than cloth. The origin of the word might help you remember this, more all-purpose, meaning — it comes from the French remanant, which means "to remain." Think of it this way: a remnant is something that remains, or is left behind. For example, the remnants from the ancient battle gave archaeologists clues from which to infer what had happened.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

remnant remnants

A white dwarf is the dense stellar remnant left behind after a low-mass star runs out of fuel.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026

When a massive star explodes as a supernova, for example, the blast can launch the stellar remnant in one direction at high speed.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

“This is a remnant of home that he’s actually being sent while on the battlefield,” she continued.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

As for the red wolf, Mr. Moore writes that, in the 1930s in northeast Louisiana, a remnant tract of old-growth forest teemed with prowling panthers and massive alligators.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

The omen of the dead father stirred up the last remnant of pride that was left in his heart, but he confused it with a sudden gust of strength.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

While removing sheetrock during demolition, workers found remnants of a balcony at the triangular point on the 20th floor, identical to an existing balcony one floor above.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

He said his skepticism around the delayed wide-body, and his comments about the first 10 aircraft, were remnants of the pre-Ortberg era.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

The hazardous surf is being sent from tropical storm systems south of California, including Tropical Storm Fausto and the remnants of Tropical Storm Elida.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

From there, they flow up the Oubangui River to the Central African Republic, where remnants of the Wagner mercenary group control their distribution through the country—and sometimes across its borders to neighboring nations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

My older brother Tsalig helped me create ice skates from all kinds of unlikely materials, metal remnants retrieved from our grandfather the blacksmith and bits of wood from the firewood pile.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson

Related Words

• bit
• fragment
• particle
• piece
• remains
• residue
• shred
• vestige