Remain

Pronunciation

IPA: /É¹ÉªËˆmeÉªn/
Rhymes: -eÉªn
Hyphenation: re + main

Origin

Middle English remainen, from Old French remain-, stressed stem of remanoir, from Latin remaneÅ, maneÅ, from Proto-Indo-European *men- ("to stay").

Replaced native Middle English beliven, bliven ("to remain") (from Old English belÄ«fan ("to remain, stay")) due to confluence with related Middle English beleven ("to leave behind"), with which it merged. More at beleave.

Full definition of remain

Noun

remain

(plural remains)

State of remaining; stay.
That which is left; relic; remainder; -- chiefly in the plural.
(plural only) remains: That which is left of a human being after the life is gone; relics; a dead body.
The posthumous works or productions, especially literary works of one who is dead.

Verb

To stay behind while others withdraw; to be left after others have been removed or destroyed; to be left after a number or quantity has been subtracted or cut off; to be left as not included or comprised.

Bible, John vi. 12Gather up the fragments that remain.
John LockeThat...remains to be proved.

To continue unchanged in place, form, or condition, or undiminished in quantity; to abide; to stay; to endure; to last.
There was no food in the house, so I had to remain hungry.

Bible, Genesis xxxviii. 11Remain a widow at thy father's house.
1898, Winston Churchill, The Celebrity Chapter 5, We made an odd party before the arrival of the Ten, particularly when the Celebrity dropped in for lunch or dinner. He could not be induced to remain permanently at Mohair because Miss Trevor was at Asquith, but he appropriated a Hempstead cart from the Mohair stables and made the trip sometimes twice in a day.
2013-06-28, Joris Luyendijk, Our banks are out of control, Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic …. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. … But the scandals kept coming, …. A broad section of the political class now recognises the need for change but remains unable to see the necessity of a fundamental overhaul. Instead it offers fixes and patches.

To await; to be left to.
(copulative) To continue in a state of being.
The light remained red for two full minutes.