remnant

American  

[rem-nuhnt] / ˈrɛm nənt /

noun

• remnants
  plural

1. a remaining, usually small part, quantity, number, or the like.

   Synonyms:

   remains, rest, residuum, residue, remainder

2. a fragment or scrap.

3. a small, unsold or unused piece of cloth, lace, etc., as at the end of a bolt.

4. a trace; vestige.

   remnants of former greatness.

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adjective

1. remaining; leftover.

remnant British  

/ ˈrɛmnənt /

noun

1. (often plural) a part left over after use, processing, etc

2. a surviving trace or vestige, as of a former era

   a remnant of imperialism

3. a piece of material from the end of a roll, sold at a lower price

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adjective

1. remaining; left over

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• remnantal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• remnants
  plural

Etymology

Origin of remnant

1300–50; Middle English remna ( u ) nt, contraction of remenant < Old French, present participle of remenoir to remain

Explanation

A remnant is something that's left over, once the rest is used up. If you plan to sew a shirt using only a remnant, it might have to be a midriff shirt. The noun remnant can also be used to refer to leftover things other than cloth. The origin of the word might help you remember this, more all-purpose, meaning — it comes from the French remanant, which means "to remain." Think of it this way: a remnant is something that remains, or is left behind. For example, the remnants from the ancient battle gave archaeologists clues from which to infer what had happened.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

remnant remnants

Gas and dust will keep traveling away from the central stellar remnant, gradually changing the nebula's appearance.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026

In the lion-shaped appearance of the nebula, this stellar remnant resembles a small button nose.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026

Self-proclaimed as “the most comprehensive Etruscan exhibition ever staged outside of Italy,” the exhibition showcases about 175 items, from intricate metalwork to lustrous pottery to a remnant of Europe’s oldest extant book.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

“This is a remnant of home that he’s actually being sent while on the battlefield,” she continued.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

“You may as well make his coat of a small remnant of silk. After all, he is the first.”

From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck

Other remnants of World War Two have appeared in the Danube recently, including a broken-up hull near Prahovo in Serbia.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

German police have searched the area near the site of impact for remnants of that object or any other clues, but so far without reporting any discoveries.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

In the 1990s, as remnants of the Berlin Wall were chiseled into souvenirs, a reunited Germany started assembling a passport-free travel zone with France and its neighbors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

For about a year, towering remnants of the St. Francis Dam stood eerily in the empty canyon, a reminder of the disaster, before the city had them dynamited.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

The chapel door was open and Silas, who had love for neither the rain nor for the remnants of the daylight, was standing inside, in the shadows.

From "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman

Related Words

• bit
• fragment
• particle
• piece
• remains
• residue
• shred
• vestige