Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: remaindre, from Latin remanere, from manere 'to stay'

remain

 verb
     
re‧main S1 W1
1 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, linking verb] to continue to be in the same state or condition:
Please remain seated until all the lights are on.
We remained friends.
remain as
Despite the job losses, Parker remained as manager.
remain unclear/unchanged/unanswered etc
Many scientists remain unconvinced by the current evidence.
2 [intransitive] formal to stay in the same place without moving away [= stay]
remain at/in/with etc
She was too ill to remain at home.
The refugees were allowed to remain in the UK.
! In spoken English it is more usual to use stay.
3 [intransitive] to continue to exist or be left after others have gone, been used, or been destroyed:
Little of the original building remains.
The score is tied, with fifteen minutes remaining.
What remains of his original art collection is now in the city museum.
4 [intransitive] to be left after other things have been dealt with
remain to be done
Several points remain to be settled.
There remained a few jobs still to be finished.
The fact remains that racism is still a considerable problem.
5

it remains to be seen

used to say that it is still uncertain whether something will happen or is true:
It remains to be seen whether the operation was successful.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
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