remain

1 of 2

verb

re·​main ri-ˈmān How to pronounce remain (audio)
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 plural : a dead body
2
: a remaining part or trace
usually used in plural
3
obsolete : stay

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Despite the cooling of inflation, prices remain at levels well above their pre-pandemic trend. David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 To remain anonymous, tipsters should contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrimeATL.com. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024 While some players remain on the board, some of the biggest free agents have already agreed to deals to move cities, potentially revitalizing their new team’s aspirations. Thomas Schlachter, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 This week's election decided if Litchfield Park would remain a general law city, dictated by state law, or would become a charter city with more local control. Alexandra Hardle, The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024 Instead, polls suggest the race remains close with a week to go before the March 19 primary. Haley Bemiller, The Enquirer, 12 Mar. 2024 Flagg was long a star agent at Rodeo Realty before moving in 2021 to Douglas Elliman, which remains home to his Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles co-stars Josh and Matt Altman and Tracy Tutor. Degen Pener, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 The uncertain outcome of the war in Ukraine means that the transatlantic option, namely NATO membership, will remain central to Poland’s foreign policy. Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2024 But the Colorado River’s long-term challenges remain the same. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024
Noun
But his remains were not officially discovered until the following day. Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2024 Though the Rush County Sheriff’s Department said Scott was long suspected of killing Tindall, he was not arrested until late November, when a box containing her remains was found buried on his property. Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024 Among the items the LA Innocence Project requested for further DNA testing were part of the mattress, part of the van’s fuel tank, a Target bag found near the remains of Laci Peterson and its contents and tape recovered from her pants. Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Tindall’s remains were discovered in late November in a box in Scott’s backyard. Steve Almasy, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 The remains of a murder victim whose body was first discovered decades ago in northern Florida has now been identified, authorities said, thanks to advanced DNA testing and forensic genealogy. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 11 Mar. 2024 Traces of wood remains and coffin nails indicate that almost all of the burials were placed inside wooden coffins, archaeologists said. Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Atencio, who was 17 at the time, helped two men load Brinson’s dismembered body into trash bags and then dump the remains in a remote part of eastern Arapahoe County. Shelly Bradbury, The Denver Post, 4 Mar. 2024 By Thursday, about 99% of the human remains had been recovered from the site, though matching the remains with McClure was still pending. Greg Wehner, Fox News, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'remain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of remain was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near remain

Cite this Entry

“Remain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/remain. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

remain

1 of 2 verb
re·​main ri-ˈmān How to pronounce remain (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on remain

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