remnant

American  

[rem-nuhnt] / ˈrɛm nənt /

noun

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.

---

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

---

adjective

1. remaining; left over

Other Word Forms

• remnantal
  adjective

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

The remnant of rainforests that remain in Scotland face two main threats, from deer and rhododendron.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

Although it cannot be seen directly, researchers suspected it might be a white dwarf, a dense stellar remnant with a mass similar to the Sun but compressed into a size comparable to Earth.

From Science Daily • May 1, 2026

Jean’s passion took a more private toll, but she still lives with what Monica calls “this deepening suspicion that your existence is a remnant of an event long since concluded.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

The only remnant of Karee Rowen’s Pacific Palisades home was her washing machine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026

They had a white sale, a remnant sale, an aluminum sale, and a crockery sale all going at the same time.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

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