fractional

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adjective frac·tion·al \ˈfrak-shnəl, -shə-n^əl\

Definition of fractional

1 : of, relating to, or being a fraction
2 : of, relating to, or being fractional currency
3 : relatively small : inconsiderable
4 : of, relating to, or involving a process for separating components of a mixture through differences in physical or chemical properties fractional distillation

fractionally

adverb

See fractional defined for English-language learners

See fractional defined for kids

Examples of fractional in a Sentence

There has been a fractional rise in the price of the stock.
There is only a fractional improvement in the new version.

Recent Examples of fractional from the Web

And since the boats are sometimes lifted off the water for 100 percent of the race, fractional changes in shape and flexibility can be the difference.

— chris museler, New York Times, "Emirates Team New Zealand Earns Rematch of 2013 America’s Cup vs. Team Oracle USA", 12 June 2017
The federal government would make only a fractional down payment on rebuilding the nation’s aging infrastructure.

— julie hirschfeld davis and kate kelly, New York Times, "Trump Plans to Shift Infrastructure Funding to Cities, States and Business", 3 June 2017
Last September, U.S. District Court judge Louis Stanton handed BMI a victory by rejecting the DOJ's position that consent decrees don't bar the issuance of fractional licenses.

— eriq gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, "Viacom, Google on Same Copyright Side in Appellate Fight Over Music Licensing", 2 June 2017
That’s why, the brief argues, the Appeals Court should reverse the District Court’s declaratory judgment that the consent decree neither bars fractional licensing nor requires full-works licensing.

— ed christman, Billboard, "Department of Justice Appeals Consent Decree Ruling, BMI Hits Back", 18 May 2017
Of course, there are the old standbys like NetJets and Marquis, who sell fractional ownership (like 1/16th) of a single jet for upwards of $100K.

— caroline callahan, CNT, "How to Charter a Private Plane", 18 May 2017
At the event against fractional-reserve banking, Switzerland was represented as a puppet of banks, with one person dressed as SNB President Thomas Jordan cutting the strings controlling the puppet.

— catherine bosley, Bloomberg.com, "SNB Takes On Protesters, Croissant Critics at Annual Meeting", 28 Apr. 2017
At Vanderbilt University, John Anthony Capra, an evolutionary genomics professor, has been combining high-powered computation and a medical records databank to learn what a Neanderthal heritage — even a fractional one — might mean for people today.

— claudia dreifus, New York Times, "What Did Neanderthals Leave to Modern Humans? Some Surprises", 20 Jan. 2017
Isn't this Virgin Galactic/SpaceShipTwo business just some profitable research toward a future Virgin Pacific LA-Tokyo fractional-orbital service?

— wired staff, WIRED, "Rants + Raves", 1 Mar. 2005

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

First Known Use of fractional

1650

FRACTIONAL Defined for English Language Learners

fractional

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adjective

Definition of fractional for English Language Learners

mathematics : of or relating to a fraction
: very small
: not complete

FRACTIONAL Defined for Kids

fractional

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adjective frac·tion·al \ˈfrak-shə-n^əl\

Definition of fractional for Students

1 : of, relating to, or being a fraction fractional numbers
2 : fairly small fractional improvement

Medical Dictionary

fractional

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adjective frac·tion·al \-shən-^əl, -shnəl\

Medical Definition of fractional

: of, relating to, or involving a process for separating components of a mixture through differences in physical or chemical properties fractional distillation