remainder

remainder — noun

1. whatever (people, objects, or time) is still present once a portion has gone awa

1.nounB2
Definition

whatever (people, objects, or time) is still present once a portion has gone away, been used up, finished, or taken away.

Example

Christopher ate half the pizza and put the remainder in the fridge for breakfast.

the remainder of [thing] for what is left of an object

Sofie spent the remainder of the afternoon reading novels in the garden.

the remainder of + time period

Common collocations
  • the remainder of the day
  • the remainder of the year
  • the remainder of his life
  • spend the remainder
  • for the remainder of
Synonyms
  • rest

    more common in everyday speech; 'the rest' replaces 'the remainder' in most casual contexts

  • balance

    preferred for money or amounts owed, especially in finance

  • leftovers

    informal, mostly used for uneaten food

Antonyms
  • whole

    the complete amount before any part is removed

Grammar Patterns

the remainder of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Almost always preceded by 'the' and followed by 'of + noun phrase'. Distinguish from sense 2: this general sense covers people, things, or time, while sense 2 is strictly the math result of division or subtraction.

Common Mistakes

I ate a remainder of the cake.
I ate the remainder of the cake.
'remainder' takes 'the', not 'a'.
She slept during remainder of the flight.
She slept during the remainder of the flight.
don't drop 'the' before 'remainder'.

2. in arithmetic, the small leftover figure produced if one whole number cannot be

2.nounB1
Definition

in arithmetic, the small leftover figure produced if one whole number cannot be split evenly by another.

Example

When you divide 17 by 5, the answer is 3 with a remainder of 2.

a remainder of + number after division

Ilan's teacher asked the class to find the remainder when 100 is divided by 7.

find the remainder + when-clause

Common collocations
  • a remainder of
  • leave a remainder
  • with no remainder
  • find the remainder
  • without remainder
Synonyms
  • rest

    non-technical; rarely used in formal math contexts

  • residue

    more technical; used in modular arithmetic and chemistry

Grammar Patterns

a remainder of + number

Usage Note

Strictly a mathematical term, used only with division and subtraction. The remainder must always be smaller than the divisor. Outside math class, native speakers will say 'rest' or 'leftover', not 'remainder', for everyday quantities.

Common Mistakes

20 divided by 6 has a remainder of 8.
20 divided by 6 has a remainder of 2.
the remainder is always less than the divisor.
I have a remainder of three cookies in my lunchbox.
I have three cookies left in my lunchbox.
outside math, use 'left' or 'rest', not 'remainder'.

3. a book that the publisher offers at a much lower price because it has stopped se

3.nounC1
Definition

a book that the publisher offers at a much lower price because it has stopped selling at full price.

Example

Reuben found a hardback biography of Mozart in the remainder bin for just three pounds.

remainder bin: place where discounted books sit

The little bookshop near Padma's flat sells mostly remainders to attract student customers.

plural 'remainders' for a class of cheap books

Common collocations
  • remainder bin
  • remainder table
  • remainder shop
  • buy as a remainder
Synonyms
  • markdown

    any discounted item, not limited to books

  • overstock

    unsold inventory, often sold off cheaply

Grammar Patterns

a remainder

remainder bin / table / shop

Usage Note

Mostly seen in the book trade and in journalism about publishing. Often appears in the compound 'remainder bin' or 'remainder table', the physical spot where shops display these cheap copies.

Common Mistakes

I bought a remainder shirt at half price.
I bought a discounted shirt at half price.
'remainder' as a discounted item refers only to books, not clothing or other goods.

remainder — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words name what is still present after a portion has been removed, but they differ in register and typical context. 'Rest' is by far the most common in everyday speech and writing — you can almost always swap 'the rest' in for 'the remainder' without sounding strange ('the rest of the day', 'the rest of the cake'). 'Remainder' is slightly more formal and is the natural choice in writing, news, or schedules ('the remainder of the academic year'). 'Balance' is reserved for money or accounts: you pay the balance owing, not the remainder owing. 'Leftovers', usually plural, almost always means uneaten food kept for a later meal. So a quick rule: speak in 'rest', write in 'remainder', invoice in 'balance', and reheat 'leftovers' for dinner.

rest ↗remainder ↗balance ↗leftovers

Common collocations

Nouns

  • remainder bin
  • remainder table
  • remainder stock

Phrases

  • the remainder of the day
  • the remainder of the year
  • for the remainder of
  • leave a remainder

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchAnglo-FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Borrowed into late Middle English from Anglo-French legal vocabulary, where 'remainder' described a future right in property that 'remained' after a prior estate ended. The Anglo-French noun built on the verb 'remain', from Old French 'remaindre', which itself came from the Latin 'remanere', literally 'to stay back' (re- 'back' + manere 'to stay'). The general sense of 'whatever is left over' grew out of this property-law use during the 1500s, and the mathematical sense for the result of an unequal division was added in the 1600s as English mathematical writing expanded.