remain
Americanverb (used without object)
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to continue in the same state; continue to be as specified.
to remain at peace.
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to stay behind or in the same place.
to remain at home;
I'll remain here when you go to the airport.
- Antonyms:
- depart
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to be left after the removal, loss, destruction, etc., of all else.
The front wall is all that remains of the fort.
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to be left to be done, told, shown, etc..
Only the dishwashing remains.
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to be reserved or in store.
noun
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Usually remains. something that remains or is left.
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remains,
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miscellaneous, fragmentary, or other writings still unpublished at the time of an author's death.
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traces of some quality, condition, etc.
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a dead body; corpse.
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parts or substances remaining from animal or plant life that occur in the earth's crust or strata.
fossil remains;
organic remains.
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verb
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to stay behind or in the same place
to remain at home
only Tom remained
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(copula) to continue to be
to remain cheerful
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to be left, as after use, consumption, the passage of time, etc
a little wine still remained in the bottle
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to be left to be done, said, etc
it remains to be pointed out
Related Words
See continue.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of remain
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English remainen, from Anglo-French remain-, stressed stem of Middle French remanoir, from Latin remanēre, equivalent to re- re- + manēre “to stay”; see manor
Explanation
To remain is to stay in the same place or situation. You can remain at home instead of going out to the movies with your friends, but that doesn't mean you won't remain friends. If things remain the same, they don't change, and if your family remains in the same town, they don't move. When something is left behind, it also remains: "All that remains of my party is a bunch of deflated balloons." In the fifteenth century, remain was a noun too, meaning "people or things left over or surviving." Today we use remainder instead.
Vocabulary lists containing remain
"The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet"
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Workshop 3, Part 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
However, while the couple remain married, the wife currently lives in Pakistan, the court heard.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
"Even if resolved next month, the oil market could remain undersupplied through October, keeping inflationary pressures high and adding another headache for consumers, central banks, and, eventually, investors," he added.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
A larger hike may be unlikely, he said, as the central bank’s inflation targets remain intact.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
The investigation and search remain ongoing, but detectives said they believe this was an isolated incident with no threat to the general public.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
Tante Jans, Mama’s older sister, had moved in with us when her husband died to spend, as she put it, “what few days remain to me,” though she was still only in her early forties.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
