remain
Americanverb (used without object)
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remains,
present (3rd person singular)
-
remained,
past participle, past
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remaining
present participle
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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,
-
miscellaneous, fragmentary, or other writings still unpublished at the time of an author's death.
-
traces of some quality, condition, etc.
-
a dead body; corpse.
-
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
-
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
Synonym Usage
See continue.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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remainsimple
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remainssimple
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have remainedperfect
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has remainedperfect
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am remainingprogressive
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are remainingprogressive
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is remainingprogressive
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have been remainingperfect progressive
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has been remainingperfect progressive
Past
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remainedsimple
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had remainedperfect
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was remainingprogressive
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were remainingprogressive
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had been remainingperfect progressive
Future
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 4, Part 2
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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.
See Examples For:
Most of the protesters have since dispersed, but some members of the Orange Order remain.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
But they remain classified as English learners while they wait to clear other requirements.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
"We remain in close coordination with our UK partners to help ensure the safety and security of both our military and local communities," it added.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
“We are in the early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
Mamá and I remain silent, even though I’d like to ask what they think is wrong with promoting literacy.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
It remains to be seen whether star receiver Puka Nacua will play against the Eagles after a hip injury forced him to sit out the last two games.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
The impending return of Sam Curran from a groin injury - who remains important as a left-handed batter and seam-bowling option in the top seven - could also create a squeeze for places.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
Give it your declining heart-rate variability, shortened sleep, increased mileage and stressful Tuesday, and it can fashion a plausible story connecting them, even when the explanation remains uncertain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
But if it feels like “The Oprah Winfrey Show” remains a present force despite Winfrey ending her show 15 years ago, that is because it lives on through hundreds of self-made influencers.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
It remains unclear how many people will suffer long-term effects from radiation exposure as a result of the Fukushima meltdowns.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
Stephens, who was seen celebrating after the play, was kicked out of the game, but remained on the sideline in the second half.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
Many of the company’s longest-serving and most influential employees remained close to the movement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
Water levels in Bangkok's network of canals remained high on Sunday morning, with authorities working to speed up drainage, the BMA said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
In a second study area, where traditional chain moorings remained until 2023, the scars reduced by 65.4%, around 15.9 sq m a year.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
The youngest Fox sisters’ initial thoughts and feelings about the events in Hydesville remained unknown.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
They are barrels per day, barrels in storage, the price of Brent crude, the volume of Iranian commerce still getting through, and the time remaining on the Washington clock.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
With the rest of this season and all of next year remaining there’s a good chance more schools pick up on his talents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
Core PCE is expected to rise 0.3% month over month from 0.2%, remaining unchanged at 3.3% year over year.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 27, 2026
Much of the remaining $1 billion had been ordered as restitution, meant to repay victims’ losses.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
The two remaining HYDROs dug their claws into the ice and blasted their engines.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
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.
