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.

Origin of remainder

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

Synonyms for remainder

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR remainder ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

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

Related Words for remainder

rest, stump, surplus, garbage, excess, remnant, oddment, wreck, remains, obverse, scrap, hangover, waste, junk, leavings, relic, trace, fragment, butt, detritus

Examples from the Web for remainder

Contemporary Examples of remainder

The second-place major party candidate would get the remainder.
GOP States’ Hitlist: Abortion, Unions & Hillary
Nancy Kaffer
November 18, 2014
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
For the remainder of the motorcade, there is no radio traffic.
Behind the Scenes With a ‘Site Agent’: The Secret Service’s Hardest Job
Marc Ambinder
October 2, 2014
The remainder is “peculiar” motion: movement of galaxies as dictated by the presence of matter nearby.
Laniakea: The Milky Way’s Place in the Heavens
Matthew R. Francis
September 7, 2014
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

Historical Examples of remainder

We have now only flour enough for the remainder of our journey.
Explorations in Australia
John Forrest
And now I will try if any repose will fall to my lot for the remainder of this night.
Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
For the remainder of that day, poor George was in a regular whirl of excitement.
Life in London
Edwin Hodder
Add the remainder of the celery and pour the sauce over this.
Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 2
Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences
Proceed with the remainder of the process as in canning peaches.
Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 5
Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences

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

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.

remainder in Science

remainder

[rĭ-mān′dər]

In division, the difference between the dividend and the product of the quotient and divisor. Dividing 14 by 3 gives 4 and a remainder of 2.