Remain (verb) means to stay in the same place or condition without leaving or changing; to continue to be something. As a noun (usually remains), it means what is left after other parts have gone — for example, ruins or other surviving evidence.
What Does Remain Mean?
Remain comes from the Latin remanere, formed from re- (back, again) and manere (to stay). The same Latin root gives us manor, mansion, and permanent. It entered English in the 15th century via Old French remaindre and has kept its core sense ever since.
As a verb, remain covers three closely related ideas. First, it expresses physical location — staying in a place rather than leaving: Please remain seated. Second, it describes a continuing state — still being something: The cause of the fire remains unknown. Third, it signals what has not yet been dealt with: Several problems remain. All three senses are common in everyday, academic, and professional writing.
The plural noun remains is used for ruins (Roman remains), surviving organic matter (human remains), or the leftover portion of something. Note that remainder is the preferred noun when referring to a specific counted or measured amount: the remainder of the class.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level & usage note |
|---|---|
| Two questions remain unanswered after the discussion. | A2 — basic statement; remain + adjective |
| Please remain in your seat until the captain turns off the seatbelt sign. | B1 — polite instruction; remain + prepositional phrase |
| Despite the bad weather, the team remained calm and finished the project on time. | B1 — linking verb; remain + adjective complement |
| It remains to be seen whether the new policy will reduce traffic congestion in the city centre. | B2 — fixed phrase; it remains to be seen + whether |
| The precise mechanism by which the virus mutates remains poorly understood, even after decades of research. | C1 — academic register; remain + adverb + past participle |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| remain calm | She remained calm throughout the emergency. |
| remain silent | He chose to remain silent during the interview. |
| remain unchanged | The price has remained unchanged for two years. |
| remain committed | The government remains committed to the agreement. |
| remain in contact | They remained in contact long after leaving school. |
| remain a mystery | The origin of the artefact remains a mystery. |
| remain to be seen | Whether it will work remains to be seen. |
| remain on the agenda | Climate change remains high on the agenda. |
| it remains unclear | It remains unclear who was responsible. |
| much remains to be done | Much remains to be done before the deadline. |
Usage Notes
Key Points for Learners
Remain as a linking verb: When remain links the subject to a descriptive complement, it must be followed by an adjective, not an adverb. Write remain calm, not remain calmly.
Formal register: Remain is more formal than stay. Prefer stay in casual conversation (Stay here) and remain in writing, news, academic texts, or official instructions (Passengers should remain seated).
Impersonal subject: The fixed phrase it remains to be seen is used when the outcome is still unknown. It is always followed by a whether-clause or a wh- clause, never by a noun phrase.
Remains vs remainder: Use remains (plural noun) for ruins, organic matter, or surviving evidence. Use remainder (countable singular) for a specific leftover quantity: the remainder of the budget.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
The patient is remaining stable. (avoid progressive with stative remain)
The patient remains stable. (simple present for a continuing state)
She remained calmly during the crisis. (adverb after linking verb)
She remained calm during the crisis. (adjective after linking verb)
The remains of the cake was eaten. (remains takes plural verb)
The remains of the cake were eaten. (remains is always plural)