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
Overall traffic through the strait has remained steady in recent days but is still far below pre-war levels. — Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026 George has since remained in France due to their custody laws, which require her two older sons to remain in the country. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
Noun
The other ring found with the same skeletal remains is a plain gold ring without any pattern. — ABC News, 6 July 2026 The remains of an Alabama man who went missing a decade ago have been identified. — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 3 July 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 7 Jul. 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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