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

As early as the 1620s, the Dutch and English settlers who established farming and fishing communities came into conflict with the remnants of Algonquian-speaking peoples. —JSTOR Daily, 18 Oct. 2025

The region is also still recovering from major flooding in August of last year - Kipnuk, one of the villages hardest hit by the remnants of Typhoon Halong, received one of the first-ever federal disaster declarations for an Alaska tribe in the wake of that flooding. —NPR, 17 Oct. 2025

Adjective

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

See how Mario's remnant moisture washed over California How do hurricanes form? —Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 19 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