remain
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to continue in the same state; continue to be as specified.
to remain at peace.
-
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.
-
to be left to be done, told, shown, etc..
Only the dishwashing remains.
-
to be reserved or in store.
noun
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Usually remains. something that remains or is left.
-
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miscellaneous, fragmentary, or other writings still unpublished at the time of an author's death.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.
-
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
-
remainsimple
-
remainssimple
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have remainedperfect
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has remainedperfect
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am remainingprogressive
-
are remainingprogressive
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is remainingprogressive
-
have been remainingperfect progressive
-
has been remainingperfect progressive
Past
-
remainedsimple
-
had remainedperfect
-
was remainingprogressive
-
were remainingprogressive
-
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.
“They are families, veterans, seniors, and formerly homeless Angelenos who rely on these resources to remain housed.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026
As part of that, midwives should be dedicated to answering calls and providing timely advice, while women should be offered a face-to-face appointment if they remain concerned.
From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026
To remain eligible for federal funding, colleges must show their graduates have bigger incomes than high school grads four years after completing their degree.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026
These results suggest that the compounds remain effective in more realistic tumor environments.
From Science Daily • Jun. 29, 2026
“That's for Level Twos and Threes, respectively. Let's see if you last long enough. If you can't channel the light, then you can't remain here.”
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
