fragmentary

adjective

frag·​men·​tary ˈfrag-mən-ˌter-ē 

: consisting of fragments : incomplete

fragmentary evidence

a fragmentary account

fragmentarily

ˌfrag-mən-ˈter-ə-lē 

adverb

fragmentariness

ˈfrag-mən-ˌter-ē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• deficient
• fragmental
• half
• halfway
• incomplete
• partial

Examples of fragmentary in a Sentence

discovering fragmentary remains of primitive animals

the historical record of this pharaoh's life and reign is fragmentary at best

Recent Examples on the Web

Phylogenetic analyses yield conflicting results: some position it near the base of squamates, others as a distant relative separate from both major lizard clades and snakes, highlighting the limits of fragmentary amber fossils. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

Whereas Liliana’s Invincible Summer is emotional, sincere, and relatively easy to follow, Death Takes Me is cerebral, fragmentary, and disorienting. —Nicolás Medina Mora, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2025

McBurney’s bridge is fragmentary, sounding neither quite like Mussorgsky nor like an original piece. —Jeffrey Arlo Brown, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025

Though fugitive and fragmentary, the events in the Gospels take place on a fixed historical time line. —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

fragment entry 1 + -ary entry 2

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fragmentary

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• beriberi
• breviary
• budgetary
• capillary
• catenary
• cautionary

Kids Definition

fragmentary

adjective

frag·​men·​tary ˈfrag-mən-ˌter-ē 

: made up of fragments : incomplete

a fragmentary report