Remain

How to spell remain

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce remain

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does remain mean?

1. verbTo continue to exist, to stay in the same place or condition, or to be left over after others have gone.

Remain in a sentence

• Only two seats remain on the morning flight.

• The staff were asked to remain calm during the evacuation drill.

Where does remain come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb remanere, meaning 'to stay behind' or 'to be left over', which was built from the prefix re- (here carrying the sense of 'back') and the verb manere, meaning 'to stay, dwell, or endure'. The same manere root sits quietly inside several familiar English words, including 'mansion' (originally a dwelling place where one stays) and 'permanent' (something that stays throughout). English took the word in the late 1300s by way of Old French, where it appeared as forms such as remaindre and remanoir. Over time the meaning settled into the modern senses of continuing in a place, continuing in a state, or being left after others have gone. The single 'm' and 'n' arrangement is faithful to the Latin manere, which is a useful reminder that there is nothing doubled in the spelling.

How the word is built

• re- (back, again)
• main (from Latin manere: to stay, dwell)