remnant

1 of 2

noun

rem·​nant ˈrem-nənt How to pronounce remnant (audio)
1
a
: a usually small part, member, or trace remaining
b
: a small surviving group
often used in plural
2
: an unsold or unused end of piece goods

remnant

2 of 2

adjective

: still remaining

Examples of remnant in a Sentence

Noun Remnants go on sale next week. sailed home with just a remnant of the colony's original population aboard
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Bacteria in Us Eukaryotic genomes, researchers have gradually realized, bear many traces of bacterial genes, remnants of a silent parade of other creatures that left their marks on us. Quanta Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 White smoke and an orange glow could still be seen above the remnants of the building Tuesday morning in Clinton Township. arkansasonline.com, 6 Mar. 2024 The remnants of a 64-square-foot mural created by Paul Cézanne have been discovered beneath layers of wallpaper and plaster in the painter’s idyllic home in France. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024 At the rock’s center are remnants of ancient native paintings. Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 25 Feb. 2024 In Atlanta, the initiative came from remnants of Covid-19. Brammhi Balarajan, CNN, 25 Feb. 2024 But if the padding is damp, moisture laden with remnants of that deep stain will wick to the surface as the carpet fibers dry. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024 Most extrasolar planet hunters are too busy looking for an Earth 2.0 to give these hyper-dense stellar remnants much consideration but as endgame byproducts of stars like our own. Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Coney Island, along with one of its last remnants, Sunlite Pool, closed Dec. 31, 2023. Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 9 Mar. 2024
Adjective
She’s also been diagnosed with fibromyalgia — or long-lasting, pervasive pain throughout the body — and ovarian remnant syndrome. Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 8 Mar. 2024 Born from a violent planetary collision more than four billion years ago, the moon still harbors remnant internal heat that’s slowly seeping into space. Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Feb. 2024 Because no liquid is involved, there is no risk of wicking up remnant stain from the carpet padding. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024 On other front lines, U.S. forces are still deployed in Iraq and Syria to contain remnant cells of the Islamic State, whose caliphate collapsed five years ago. Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2024 Scientists believe the asteroid, known as 16 Psyche, may be remnant core material of a small planetesimal that was broken up in the distant past. William Harwood, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2023 Her relative obscurity is a reminder that this planetary nebula, located about 2,300 light-years away from Earth, will outlive us all, as well as any remnant memories of us. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 12 Dec. 2023 Yet this single global plate is still thought to experience flexing and accumulate stresses from the remnant heat bubbling up from the planet’s slowly cooling, partially molten core. Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2023 Tropical Storm Hermine on Sunday was continuing to bring rain to the Canary Islands and is poised to become a remnant low, forecasters said. Steve Svekis, Sun Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'remnant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, contraction of remenant, from Anglo-French remanant, from present participle of remaindre to remain — more at remain entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1550, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of remnant was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near remnant

Cite this Entry

“Remnant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/remnant. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

remnant

noun
rem·​nant
ˈrem-nənt
1
: a surviving usually small part
remnants of a great civilization
2
: something that remains or is left over
a remnant of cloth

More from Merriam-Webster on remnant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!