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

The Konyaks are no longer an exotic remnant of the past, but people living through what Dr Konyak describes as "love, grief, conflict, faith, uncertainty and generational change".

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

Native oysters were once abundant in coastal European waters, including Scotland, but now only remnant populations are known to remain due to overharvesting and disease.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

The objects also represent very different points in the remnant stage of radio galaxy evolution.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026

Astronomers have identified a little-studied population of faint remnant radio galaxies that appear to fade quickly after their central supermassive black holes stop producing powerful radio jets.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026

“Oh...well, I’m sorry,” said Jinny, looking at the slobbery remnant in Loo’s hands.

From "Orphan Island" by Laurel Snyder

Since then, Iraqi forces have fought Islamic State remnants engaged in a low-level insurgency around the country’s remote areas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

Neutron stars are extremely dense stellar remnants left behind after massive stars reach the ends of their lives.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

But there are still plenty of remnants of Child.

From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026

As described by Channel 4, the two groups are "surrounded by the remnants of modern life" and they must "recycle, reuse and reinvent anything of use to improve their lives".

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

She took another, bigger bite, almost finishing the whole thing, then placed the remnants back on the plate.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Related Words

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