fraction

noun

frac·​tion ˈfrak-shən 

1

a

: a numerical representation (such as ¾, ⅝, or 3.234) indicating the quotient of two numbers

b(1)

: a piece broken off : fragment

(2)

: a discrete unit : portion

2

: one of several portions (as of a distillate) separable by fractionation

3

: bit, little

a fraction closer

Synonyms of fraction

• fragment
• piece
• bit
• scrap

Examples of fraction in a Sentence

a fraction of an inch

if even a tiny fraction of that cookie broke off and fell into the delicate watch works, it could mess things up

Recent Examples on the Web

The result is an airy, dreamy studio at a fraction of the price of a traditional house. —Caitlin Gunther, Architectural Digest, 17 June 2026

Composer 2 then added continued pretraining, reaching frontier-level performance at a fraction of the cost of other models. —Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 16 June 2026

That's a fraction of the votes cast on May 19, when more than two million people, or about 28% of active voters, cast ballots. —Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 16 June 2026

Despite the immense interest in SpaceX from retail investors, the cohort’s purchases are just a fraction of the total sales, the majority of which go to institutional investors. —Tobias Burns, CNBC, 15 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fraccioun "act or result of breaking, mathematical fraction," borrowed from Medieval Latin frāctiōn-, frāctiō "breaking, division into parts, mathematical fraction," going back to Late Latin, "breaking, weariness, illness," from Latin frag-, variant stem of frangere "to break, shatter" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at break entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing fraction

• common fraction
• complex fraction
• continued fraction
• decimal fraction
• improper fraction
• partial fraction
• proper fraction
• simple fraction

Rhymes for fraction

• action
• faction
• traction
• abstraction
• attraction
• compaction
• contraction
• detraction
• diffraction
• distraction
• exaction
• extraction

Kids Definition

fraction

noun

frac·​tion ˈfrak-shən 

1

: a number (as ½, ¾, or 3.323) that represents a number of equal parts of a whole or the division of one number by another

2

: a part of a whole

Medical Definition

fraction

noun

frac·​tion ˈfrak-shən 

: one of several portions (as of a distillate) separable by fractionation

gamma globulin is a fraction of blood plasma