Word
remnant
Phoneticsrem·nant
US/ˈɹɛmnənt/
UK/ɹˈɛmnənt/
Definition
n. a small part of something that remains after the rest has gone or been destroyed.
n. a small remaining quantity of something; a trace or vestige of a larger whole that has largely disappeared.
Examples
“The archaeologists found a remnant of an ancient wall.”
“After the revolution, only a small remnant of the old ruling class remained in the country.”
“The scattered ruins are the last visible remnant of a civilization that once dominated the entire valley before falling into sudden and mysterious decline.”
Examples
simple
“The archaeologists found a remnant of an ancient wall.”
contextual
“After the revolution, only a small remnant of the old ruling class remained in the country.”
complex
“The scattered ruins are the last visible remnant of a civilization that once dominated the entire valley before falling into sudden and mysterious decline.”
Usage
Often used in the plural form to describe physical remains or surviving groups of people.
Real-World Examples
Common in science and culture writing
“When communications go down, so can many other services, including the ability to use a credit card, as residents encountered after Hurricane Helene’s remnants hit North Carolina in 2024.” “Firefighters in the West Midlands are extinguishing remnants of fires, a day after multiple blazes swept across the region.” “The researchers believe remnants left behind from this smashup then came together to form the inner moons seen today.” “Scientists found them by dissolving away the mud and counting microscopic glass shards, remnants of the molten magma the eruption atomized into ultra-fine and rapidly cooling dust.” Etymology
From Middle English, contraction of remenant, from Anglo-Norman remanant, present participle of remaindre, from Latin remaneō.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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englishreference.com/q/remnant