Remains are what's left after something has been removed, destroyed, or has passed away. When you finish dinner and there's half a sandwich on your plate, those are the remains of your meal. When archaeologists dig up ancient pottery shards and old coins, they're discovering the remains of past civilizations.

The word often refers to physical things that endure after everything else is gone. A demolished building leaves behind rubble and remains. When someone discovers an old shipwreck on the ocean floor, they're finding the remains of a vessel that sank long ago.

The word has a solemn meaning when referring to someone who has died. Human remains or mortal remains are respectful terms for a deceased person's body. In this context, the word acknowledges that while the person's life has ended, something physical remains behind.

The word can also describe what continues to exist. When historians study the Roman Empire, they examine whatever remains from that era: ruins of buildings, written records, sculptures. The verb form works similarly: if most students leave class early but you stay, you remain in the classroom. What remains after a forest fire might be charred tree trunks and ash, but also roots underground that will eventually sprout new growth.