remain

1 of 2

verb

re·​main ri-ˈmān How to pronounce remain (audio)
remained; remaining; remains
Synonyms of remainnext

intransitive verb

1
a
: to be a part not destroyed, taken, or used up
only a few ruins remain
b
: to be something yet to be shown, done, or treated
it remains to be seen
2
: to stay in the same place or with the same person or group
especially : to stay behind
3
: to continue unchanged
the fact remains that we can't go

remain

2 of 2

noun

1
remains ri-ˈmānz How to pronounce remain (audio) plural : a dead body
2
: a remaining part or trace
—usually used in plural
3
obsolete : stay

Synonyms of remain

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Verb

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of remain in a Sentence

Verb Little remained after the fire. Only two minutes still remain in the game. The question remains: who fired the shot? She remained in Boston after she finished college. The soldiers were ordered to remain at their posts. I remained behind after the class had ended. He remained with the team. Noun the remains of the house ripped apart by the tornado littered the block for weeks afterward archaeologists discovered the remains of an Incan woman and carefully excavated her burial site, which promised to yield important clues about her status gathered up the remains of the buffet and delivered them to a local homeless shelter
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The cause of the fire was not immediately known and remained under investigation. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 Despite growing speculation, experts caution that many details surrounding the J-36 remain based on open-source imagery rather than official disclosures. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026
Noun
In what is now the spa, the remains of a historic Gothic church were discovered and are now highlighted beneath a glass floor. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026 Archaeologists have reanalyzed the remains of one such victim and concluded the boy died from blunt force trauma, rather than freezing to death as previously believed. — ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for remain

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French remaindre, from Latin remanēre, from re- + manēre to remain — more at mansion

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of remain was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing remain

Rhymes for remain

See All Rhymes for remain

Browse Nearby Words

Remagen
remain
remainder
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Remain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/remain. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

remain

1 of 2 verb
re·​main ri-ˈmān How to pronounce remain (audio)
1
a
: to be a part not destroyed, taken, or used up
little remained after the fire
b
: to be something yet to be shown, done, or treated
that remains to be seen
2
: to stay in the same place or with the same person or group
especially : to stay behind
3
: to continue unchanged
the weather remained cold

remain

2 of 2 noun
1
: whatever is left over or behind
—usually used in plural
the remains of a meal
2
plural : a dead body

More from Merriam-Webster on remain

Nglish: Translation of remain for Spanish Speakers

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