remainder

[ ri-meyn-der ]

/ rɪˈmeɪn dər /

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See synonyms for: remainder / remaindered 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.

OTHER WORDS FOR remainder

1 residuum, remnant, excess, rest, overage.

See synonyms for remainder on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of remainder

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

synonym study for remainder

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. 2023

How to use remainder in a sentence

For instance, if 20 percent of the population has already been infected and is immune, deaths could be halved by vaccinating just 35 percent of the remainder, if the vaccine is at least 50 percent effective.
Who Should Get a Covid-19 Vaccine First?|Jill Neimark|November 20, 2020|Singularity Hub
For instance, if 20% of the population has already been infected and is immune, deaths could be halved by vaccinating just 35% of the remainder, if the vaccine is at least 50% effective.
Who should get a covid-19 vaccine first?|Niall Firth|November 20, 2020|MIT Technology Review
These were physically separated from the remainder of the ballots for that precinct and marked as violations.
A Pennsylvania poll worker explains the painstaking process of counting votes|Kyle Brashear|November 12, 2020|Vox
The remainder of the novel unfolds as a series of motivational aphorisms that grind away on archery as a metaphor for a life well lived.
Paulo Coelho’s ‘The Archer’ aims for profundity but misses|Ron Charles|November 11, 2020|Washington Post

Analyzing shopping behavior on Prime Day may indicate what you can expect for the remainder of the year.
Holiday marketing: Get the data that puts you ahead of the competition|Sarah Mehlman|November 10, 2020|Search Engine Watch
Our army took the possetion of Tsingtau and our only hope remaindered is to hear the annihiration of the enemy force.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 148, February 3, 1915|Various

British Dictionary definitions for remainder

remainder

/ (rɪˈmeɪndə) /

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