vestige

noun

ves·tige ˈve-stij

a(1)

: a trace, mark, or visible sign left by something (such as an ancient city or a condition or practice) vanished or lost

(2)

: the smallest quantity or trace

: footprint sense 1

: a bodily part or organ that is small and degenerate or imperfectly developed in comparison to one more fully developed in an earlier stage of the individual, in a past generation, or in closely related forms

Choose the Right Synonym for vestige

trace, vestige, track mean a perceptible sign made by something that has passed.

trace may suggest any line, mark, or discernible effect.

the killer left no traces

vestige applies to a tangible reminder such as a fragment or remnant of what is past and gone.

boulders that are vestiges of the last ice age

track implies a continuous line that can be followed.

the fossilized tracks of dinosaurs

Example Sentences

a few strange words carved on a tree were the only vestige of the lost colony of Roanoke the fossilized vestige of a dinosaur that traversed that muddy landscape millions of years ago

Recent Examples on the Web That mindset was a vestige to the 1950s when a person didn't have to go into debt with college loans, would take a job with a local company and stay there for most, if not the entire duration, of their career.

Jack Kelly, Forbes, 11 Nov. 2022 Foreman thinks it’s another leftover vestige of the past two years of school turmoil during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2022 The taqueria, still known as La Xalapeña, is a vestige of La Jalapeña’s once glorious presence in the city.

Alan Chazaro, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2022 The Mach 1, which eked an extra 20 hp out of the GT's V-8 for a 470-hp sum, will continue for 2023 as a final vestige of the sixth generation.

Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 14 Sep. 2022 His accession to the throne is likely to fuel debate about the future of Britain’s largely ceremonial monarchy, seen by some as a symbol of national unity and others as an obsolete vestige of feudal history.

Danica Kirka, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2022 His accession to the throne is likely to fuel debate about the future of Britain’s largely ceremonial monarchy, seen by some as a symbol of national unity and others as an obsolete vestige of feudal history.

Danica Kirka, ajc, 8 Sep. 2022 His accession to the throne is likely to fuel debate about the future of Britain’s largely ceremonial monarchy, seen by some as a symbol of national unity and others as an obsolete vestige of feudal history.

Danica Kirka, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Sep. 2022 When, not if, our national debt forces a traumatic reckoning, asset sales will likely be part of the emergency plan to preserve safety-net payments and some vestige of discretionary government.

Mitch Daniels, WSJ, 1 Sep. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vestige.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin vestigium footstep, footprint, track, vestige

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Time Traveler

The first known use of vestige was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Vestige.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vestige. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.

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Kids Definition

vestige

noun

ves·tige ˈves-tij

: a trace, mark, or visible sign left by something (as an ancient city or a condition or practice) vanished or lost

vestiges of lost civilizations

: the smallest quantity or trace

not a vestige of regret

: a small and imperfectly developed bodily part or organ that is the remains of one that was more fully developed in an earlier stage of the individual, in a past generation, or in a closely related form

vestigial

ve-ˈstij-(ē-)əl

adjective