remnant

1 of 2

noun

rem·​nant ˈrem-nənt 

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

Synonyms

Noun

• rest
• remainder

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

In remembrance, Collins carved a sliver of the Jackson pediment into tiny rose petals and scattered them around the remnant. —Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025

By developing a new theoretical relation describing just how compact neutron stars — which are the remnants of massive stars that have gone supernova — can get, researchers have found a way to test the properties of nuclear physics under very extreme conditions. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 24 Oct. 2025

Adjective

Sources said at the time that the shooting was believed to be linked to a remnant cell of the Arellano Félix Organization, one of the drug groups fighting for control of Baja California. —Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Oct. 2025

In a surprising discovery, astronomers have found an enormous, shell-like structure called a nova super-remnant (NSR) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a galaxy located approximately 160,000 light-years from Earth. —Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2025

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

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