remainder

[ri-meyn-der]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR remainder ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

something that remains or is left: the remainder of the day.

a remaining part.

Arithmetic.

the quantity that remains after subtraction.
the portion of the dividend that is not evenly divisible by the divisor.

Mathematics. the difference between a function or a number and an approximation to it.

Law. a future interest so created as to take effect at the end of another estate, as when property is conveyed to one person for life and then to another.

remainders, Philately. the quantities of stamps on hand after they have been demonetized or otherwise voided for postal use.

a copy of a book remaining in the publisher's stock when its sale has practically ceased, frequently sold at a reduced price.

adjective

remaining; leftover.

verb (used with object)

to dispose of or sell as a remainder.

Nearby words

Origin of remainder

1350–1400; Middle English < Anglo-French, noun use of Middle French remaindre to remain

SYNONYMS FOR remainder

1. residuum, remnant, excess, rest, overage. 2. Remainder, balance, residue, surplus refer to a portion left over. Remainder is the general word ( the remainder of one's life ); it may refer in particular to the mathematical process of subtraction: 7 minus 5 leaves a remainder of 2. Balance, originally a bookkeeper's term referring to the amount of money left to one's account ( a bank balance ), is often used as a synonym for remainder : the balance of the day. Residue is used particularly to designate what remains as the result of a process; this is usually a chemical process, but the word may also refer to a legal process concerning inheritance: a residue of ash left from burning leaves. Surplus suggests that what remains is in excess of what was needed: a surplus of goods.

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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for remainder

The second-place major party candidate would get the remainder.
GOP States’ Hitlist: Abortion, Unions & Hillary|Nancy Kaffer|November 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For the remainder of Season 3, Rick battles his dark side in the form of the Governor.
The Walking Dead’s Luke Skywalker: Rick Grimes Is the Perfect Modern-Day Mythical Hero|Regina Lizik|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For the remainder of the motorcade, there is no radio traffic.
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The remainder is “peculiar” motion: movement of galaxies as dictated by the presence of matter nearby.
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You could devote the remainder of your life to the study of Arabic and you'd never truly be able to communicate with these people.
Whatever You Do Someone Will Die. A Short Story About Impossible Choices in Iraq|Nathan Bradley Bethea|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He then treated the second bird in the same manner, and assisted his lady-love to consume it, as well as the remainder of the oil.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
The remainder was inflammable, and burned with a blue flame.
Experiments and Observations on Different Kinds of Air|Joseph Priestley
This statement made all things right, and the two had a jolly good time together the remainder of the voyage.
Uncle Daniel's Story Of "Tom" Anderson|John McElroy
The atlas ossifies from three centres, one forming the mid-ventral portion, the others the two halves of the remainder.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds
The remainder of the time I spent in making feverish preparations for arriving and seeing my dear comrades.
The Coral Island|R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for remainder

remainder

noun

a part or portion that is left, as after use, subtraction, expenditure, the passage of time, etcthe remainder of the milk; the remainder of the day

maths

the amount left over when one quantity cannot be exactly divided by anotherfor 10 ÷ 3, the remainder is 1
another name for difference (def. 7b)

property law a future interest in property; an interest in a particular estate that will pass to one at some future date, as on the death of the current possessor

a number of copies of a book left unsold when demand slows or ceases, which are sold at a reduced price by the publisher

verb

(tr) to sell (copies of a book) as a remainder

Word Origin for remainder

C15: from Anglo-French, from Old French remaindre (infinitive used as noun), variant of remanoir; see remain

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for remainder

remainder

late 14c., from Anglo-French remainder, Old French remaindre, noun use of infinitive, a variant of Old French remanoir (see remain (v.)). The verb meaning "dispose of (books) at a reduced price" is from 1904. Related: Remaindered.

Science definitions for remainder