remnant
American
noun
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(often plural) a part left over after use, processing, etc
-
a surviving trace or vestige, as of a former era
a remnant of imperialism
-
a piece of material from the end of a roll, sold at a lower price
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing remnant
List 2
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Hatchet
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A closer examination showed that the prolonged X-ray emission was being powered directly by the remnant left behind by the merger, rather than by the outward-moving blast wave.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
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
Planning documents lodged for the property said it "occupies an elevated position overlooking the Usk Valley, set within extensive landscaped grounds and the remnant parkland of a former estate".
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
The objects also represent very different points in the remnant stage of radio galaxy evolution.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
A remnant of a fire was banked in the far corner under the stove top.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
More than a million mines that are remnants of the Korean War are estimated to still be in the DMZ.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
"By revealing this previously hidden soft X-ray phase, Einstein Probe opens a new window for studying neutron star merger remnants and may ultimately help constrain the neutron star equation-of-state."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
Southern California has had a particularly swampy summer, thanks to tropical storm remnants and unusually warm ocean temperatures.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
The peeling facades, faded signs and cavernous auditoriums of such cinemas are remnants of a time when going to the movies was itself the main event.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
Sean got up from the table, scraped the remnants of his dinner into the sink.
From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
