remain

play

verb re·main \ri-ˈmān\

Definition of remain

intransitive verb
1a : to be a part not destroyed, taken, or used up only a few ruins remainb : 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

See remain defined for English-language learners

See remain defined for kids

Examples of remain in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of remain from the Web

FOR TWO COUNTRIES so much at odds, India and Pakistan remain remarkably alike.

— The Economist, "Reconciliation is not impossible, but it will be a long, slow process," 22 July 2017
Beshear, meanwhile, continues to sit on a big balance of funds remaining from his inaugural fund of 2011.

— tom loftus, The Courier-Journal, "Gov. Matt Bevin's inauguration fund gives half mil to a new charity: #WeAreKY!," 20 July 2017
In the meantime, however, development of the third phase of The Banks project will remain in limbo.

— alexander coolidge, Cincinnati.com, "After lead developer pulls out, who will build the rest of The Banks?," 20 July 2017
Obamacare remains the law of the land, and the Republicans’ failure to repeal it has only solidified its validity not just as a matter of public policy, but in the eyes of millions who depend on it for access to health insurance.

— cristian farias, Daily Intelligencer, "Somebody Should Sue the Hell Out of Donald Trump If He Lets Obamacare Collapse," 20 July 2017
Camacho, Gille, and Petterec remain in custody at the Lake County jail, according to the Lake County Sheriff's office.

— rick kambic, chicagotribune.com, "4 charged in Vernon Hills car burglaries also went for an uninvited swim: police," 19 July 2017
While federal law remains unclear on this point, veterinarians in states where medical marijuana is legal have not encountered any legal resistance to prescribing CBD oils for legitimate therapeutic purposes.

— patty khuly, miamiherald, "Medical marijuana for ailing dog? Just don’t let him inhale," 19 July 2017
Fischer was taken into custody, according to reports, but Rohr remains missing.

— max londberg, kansascity, "Registered sex offender in custody, but a Missouri teen is still missing," 19 July 2017
The forage-heavy ethos remains strong at this mellow Studio City street corner, where local produce is highlighted with a deft touch.

— garrett snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Los Angeles Magazine Hot Restaurant List for July 2017," 18 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'remain.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of remain

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

remain

noun re·main

Definition of remain

1 obsolete : stay
2 : a remaining part or trace —usually used in plural
3 remains plural : a dead body

Recent Examples of remain from the Web

The act says that both parents would need to agree on what to do with the remains of an aborted fetus.

— megan friedman, Marie Claire, "In Arkansas, Women Might Need to Get Their Rapist's Permission to Get an Abortion," 11 July 2017
On Monday, a Madrid court statement said that tests with DNA from Dali's embalmed body were necessary because there were no other existing biological remains with which to make a genetic comparison.

— aritz parra, chicagotribune.com, "Salvador Dali's bones to be exhumed in Spain for paternity test," 26 June 2017
While his car, raft and dog were found a few days later, his skeletal remains were found near the Rio Grande last summer.

— lyndsey matthews, Country Living, "People are Dying Trying to Find the Treasure This Millionaire Hid In the Rockies," 21 June 2017
With a rubber or silicone spatula, fold in the flour mixture by hand, just until the batter is combined and streaks of white remain.

— jill o'connor, sandiegouniontribune.com, "A cookbook for the love of cake," 19 June 2017
The Navy says the remains are being transferred to Naval Hospital Yokosuka where they will be identified.

— Bloomberg.com, "URGENT: The Latest: US Navy Says Bodies of Sailors Found on Ship," 17 June 2017
Pre-and postmortem tyrannosaurid bite marks on the remains of Daspletosaurus (Tyrannosaurinae: Theropoda) from Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada.

— darren naish, Scientific American Blog Network, "The Sensitive Face of a Big Predatory Dinosaur," 16 June 2017
The remains of Mystacodon, excavated from Peru’s Pisco Basin, consist of a partial skeleton that includes the skull, teeth, vertebrae from various places in the spine, partial forelimbs, and a hip bone.

— brian switek, Scientific American Blog Network, "New Fossil Fills in Missing Moment in Baleen Whale History," 14 June 2017
That left her free to pivot rightward, vacuuming up the most extreme anti-EU votes from the remains of the U.K. Independence Party.

— david frum, The Atlantic, "The Punishment of Theresa May," 9 June 2017

First Known Use of remain

15th century

REMAIN Defined for English Language Learners

remain

play

verb

Definition of remain for English Language Learners

: to be left when the other parts are gone or have been used
: to be something that still needs to be done, dealt with, etc.
: to stay in the same place or with the same person or group : to stay after others have gone

REMAIN Defined for Kids

remain

play

verb re·main \ri-ˈmān\

Definition of remain for Students

remained

;

remaining

1 : to stay in the same place Please remain in your seats.
2 : to stay after others have gone Only one bus remained at school.
3 : to continue to be The weather remained cold. They remained friends.
4 : to be left after others have been removed, subtracted, or destroyed Little remained after the fire.
5 : to be something yet to be done or considered Her innocence remains to be proved.