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

Former Hurricane Lorena brings heavy rainfall Elsewhere in the Pacific, the remnants of what had been Hurricane Lorena were stalled about 170 miles off the coast of Baja California Sur as a remnant low-pressure area, driving heavy rainfall and a risk of life-threatening flash flooding. —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025

But due to complicated nuclear physics, really massive stars explode differently and don’t leave behind any remnant, black hole or otherwise. —Bill Smith, JSTOR Daily, 4 Sep. 2025

Adjective

Some of the remnant moisture could bring us rain this weekend. —Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025

However, this balance is unexpectedly shattered when a sudden rupture severs those connections, scattering their remnant powers across the land in the form of Anima. —David Jagneaux, Forbes.com, 1 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