remnant
gb/ɹˈɛmnənt/ us/ɹˈɛmnənt/
B2
English
~ 7500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
small part left over
A small part that is left when most of something is gone or used.
Usage pattern:
a remnant of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "remnant" with "remainder" or "leftover." "Remainder" is common in math or formal writing, while "leftovers" is very common for remaining food. "Remnant" is often used for small pieces of things or small amounts that survive, including abstract things like "remnants of hope." Also, learners may incorrectly use it in the plural for food, saying *"We ate the remnants"* where "leftovers" is more natural.
Synonyms
remainder (More formal and mathematical; often used for what is left after subtraction or division.)
|
leftover (More informal; very common for remaining food but can also mean remaining things in general.)
|
trace (Suggests a very small, often barely noticeable remnant.)
Antonyms
whole (Refers to something complete, with no part removed or used up.)
Collocations
the last remnant
|tiny remnant
|charred remnant
|remnants of hope
|remnants of the building
|a remnant of cloth
Themes
daily life
|description
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Only a blackened remnant of the photograph survived the fire.
- Archaeologists found remnants of pottery buried under the sand.
- Despite the defeat, a remnant of hope remained in her voice.
- The storm left just a small remnant of the pier standing.
- He threw away the remnant of his ticket after the show ended.
Learner examples
- We ate all the cake, and only a tiny remnant was left.
- The old wall is the last remnant of the castle.
- There is still a remnant of snow on the ground.
- A remnant of her old accent can still be heard.
- They cleaned the room and found a remnant of an old toy under the bed.
Noun
C1
entity
2
leftover piece of fabric
A small piece of cloth or carpet that is left at the end of a roll and is usually cheaper to buy.
Usage pattern:
a remnant of [fabric/material]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that this sense is usually used in shops and sewing contexts. They might say *"a remnant shirt"* to mean an old shirt, which is incorrect. Use this sense mainly for pieces of fabric, carpet, or similar materials, especially when buying or using them.
Synonyms
offcut (Often used in British English and in trades; a piece cut off from a larger piece of material.)
|
scrap (Suggests a small, irregular piece; can sound less useful or more like waste than "remnant.")
Antonyms
full-length roll (Refers to fabric or carpet that has not yet been cut down to small leftover pieces.)
Collocations
fabric remnant
|carpet remnant
|remnant bin
|remnant sale
|upholstery remnant
|buy a remnant
Themes
shopping
|business
|home
|clothing
|daily_life
Examples
- She bought a cheap remnant of blue fabric to make cushion covers.
- The store keeps all its carpet remnants in a large bin at the back.
- Using a remnant of upholstery material, he re-covered the old chair.
- I found a perfect curtain remnant that was just the right length.
- These bags are made from remnants from the local textile factory.
Learner examples
- The shop sells small fabric remnants for a low price.
- He chose a carpet remnant for his tiny office.
- She made a dress from a remnant of red cloth.
- You can often find cheap remnants in the corner of the store.
- This tablecloth was made from a linen remnant.
Noun
C1
entity
3
small surviving group or trace
A small group or part that still exists when most of the original group, system, or time has disappeared.
Usage pattern:
the remnant(s) of [a group/system/period]
Common mistake:
Learners may treat this sense as only physical pieces, but it is often used for people, cultures, systems, or traditions that continue from the past. They may also say *"remains"* when they mean a surviving group; "remains" is much more common for dead bodies or physical ruins, while "remnant" can sound more neutral or even positive in historical or religious contexts.
Synonyms
relic (Emphasizes that something is old and from the past; often used for objects rather than groups of people.)
|
survivor (Usually refers to an individual person or thing that remains alive or existent rather than a small group.)
Antonyms
majority (Refers to the larger part of a group, as opposed to a small surviving remnant.)
Collocations
the last remnants of the empire
|remnants of the old regime
|a faithful remnant
|a remnant community
|cultural remnants
|remnants of an ancient civilization
Themes
history
|society
|religion
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- A small remnant of the tribe still lives in the mountains.
- The festival is one of the last remnants of a much older tradition.
- These stone towers are the only remnants of the medieval fortifications.
- The new government swept away the last remnants of the old regime.
- Linguists are studying a tiny remnant community that still speaks the original language.
Learner examples
- A small remnant of the group stayed in the village.
- The castle walls are the last remnants of the old kingdom.
- Some customs are remnants of an earlier time.
- The law is a remnant of the past system.
- Only a faithful remnant of the church remained after the war.
adjective
technical
C2
property
4
remaining from something larger
Left over from something that used to be bigger, often used for land, plants, animals, or buildings.
Usage pattern:
remnant [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this is a common everyday adjective like "big" or "old," but it is mainly used in technical or formal writing, especially in ecology, conservation, or archaeology. In normal conversation, "remaining" or "leftover" is more natural.
Synonyms
remaining (More general and common; does not carry the same technical or ecological flavor as "remnant.")
|
residual (More formal and technical; often used in science or statistics for what is left after a process.)
Antonyms
intact (Describes something complete and undamaged, not just a small leftover part.)
Collocations
remnant forest
|remnant vegetation
|remnant population
|remnant habitat
|remnant wetland
|remnant structure
Themes
science
|environment
|history
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The species now survives only in a few remnant forests.
- Conservation efforts focus on protecting remnant wetland areas.
- Archaeologists studied a remnant wall on the edge of the site.
- The park preserves remnant vegetation from the original ecosystem.
- Urban growth has left the animals in small remnant populations.
Learner examples
- The birds live in remnant forest near the city.
- Scientists want to save the remnant population of this animal.
- We walked through a remnant area of native trees.
- Only a remnant wall of the old house is still standing.
- The remnant habitat is too small for many large animals.
Grammar
Expressions
remnants of the past
1/ɹˈɛmnənts əv ðə pˈæst/
fixed phrase
things left from earlier times
Things, ideas, or customs that still exist today but first came from a time long ago.
Examples
- These old buildings are remnants of the past that give the city its character.
- Some of our laws are strange remnants of the past.
- Traditional dances like this are beautiful remnants of the past.
the last remnants of
1/ðə lˈæst ɹˈɛmnənts əv/
fixed phrase
the final small remaining parts
Used before a noun to talk about what is still left when almost everything else has gone or changed.
Examples
- The new leaders removed the last remnants of the old system.
- We watched the last remnants of the sunset fade from the sky.
- The city is cleaning up the last remnants of the festival.