remainder: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal / Academic / Business
Quick answer
What does “remainder” mean?
The part that is left after other parts have been used, removed, or dealt with.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The part that is left after other parts have been used, removed, or dealt with.
In mathematics, the amount left over after division when one number does not divide the other exactly. In publishing, a book sold at a reduced price because it is unsold stock.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. The verb usage (to sell off remaining stock) is slightly more established in UK publishing contexts.
Connotations
Neutral in maths; can imply unwanted surplus or discounted goods in commerce.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in UK English in the commercial/publishing sense.
Grammar
How to Use “remainder” in a Sentence
[the] remainder of + NOUN PHRASEVERB + remainder (e.g., calculate, leave, sell)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “remainder” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The publisher decided to remainder the first edition to make space.
- These titles have been remaindered and are now on the bargain table.
American English
- The bookstore will remainder those calendars after the holiday.
- The unsold inventory was quickly remaindered online.
adverb
British English
- (No standard adverbial use)
American English
- (No standard adverbial use)
adjective
British English
- She bought a remainder copy of the novel for just two pounds.
- The remainder stock was stored in the warehouse.
American English
- He found a great deal on a remainder book at the store.
- The remainder bins were full of discounted merchandise.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
The unsold copies were remaindered at a heavy loss.
Academic
The remainder of the paper discusses the methodological implications.
Everyday
You can have the remainder of the pizza.
Technical
Divide 17 by 5; the quotient is 3 and the remainder is 2.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “remainder”
- Using 'remains' (often for dead bodies/debris) interchangeably with 'remainder'. Confusing 'remainder' (leftover part) with 'reminder' (prompt).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it's common in general language for 'what is left' and has a specific commercial use in publishing.
In most general contexts, yes ('the rest of the time'). 'Remainder' is more formal and preferred in technical or precise commercial contexts.
'Remains' often refers to physical fragments or a corpse ('mortal remains'). 'Remainder' refers to a leftover portion of something countable or measurable.
In both UK and US English, the stress is on the second syllable: ri-MAIN-der. The 'ai' sounds like the 'ai' in 'main'.
The part that is left after other parts have been used, removed, or dealt with.
Remainder is usually formal / academic / business in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “The remainder of your days/natural life (formal/literary)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
REMAINder – think of what REMAINs after everything else is gone.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE WHOLE IS A CONTAINER (the remainder is what's left inside after removal).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'remainder' used as a verb?