remain

1 of 2

verb

re·​main ri-ˈmān 

remained; remaining; remains

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  plural : a dead body

2

: a remaining part or trace

—usually plural

3

obsolete : stay

Synonyms of remain

Verb

• stay
• wait

Noun

• rubble
• debris
• ruins
• wreckage
• remnant
• ashes

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

Verb

High temperatures in Death Valley were expected to remain in the 115- to 118-degree range Monday and Tuesday, with a high of 119 expected Wednesday. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2026

Powell left for the Chicago Bulls in free agency, after the Heat lacked the remaining salary-cap wherewithal to match the Bulls’ offer. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026

Noun

The fact a majority of them belong to people who traveled from another country and the conditions of the desert itself both complicate efforts to identify remains, therefore hindering missing persons cases, experts say. — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026

Various micro-organisms (bacteria, fungi, yeasts) can also lie dormant in the tissues for centuries and can recolonize and multiply due to a ready supply of organic material—particularly if the remains have been stored in suboptimal conditions. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026

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

Phrases Containing remain

• remain to be seen
• right to remain silent

Rhymes for remain

• abstain
• airplane
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• attain
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• blockchain
• butane
• campaign

Kids Definition

remain

1 of 2 verb

re·​main ri-ˈmān 

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