fragmentary

adjective frag·men·tary \ ˈfrag-mən-ˌter-ē \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of fragmentary

: consisting of fragments : incomplete

fragmentary evidence

a fragmentary account

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fragmentarily

play \ˌfrag-mən-ˈter-ə-lē\ adverb

—

fragmentariness

play \ˈfrag-mən-ˌter-ē-nəs\ noun

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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 of fragmentary from the Web

This time, though, Ramsay goes further into abstraction and fragmentary narrative, all for the better.

— michael phillips, chicagotribune.com, "'You Were Never Really Here' review: Joaquin Phoenix out-hammers Mike Hammer by several hammers," 12 Apr. 2018
The discovery helped flesh out a species known previously only through teeth and fragmentary jaws.

— sanjay kumar, Science | AAAS, "India’s paleontologists fight destruction of its fossil riches," 4 Apr. 2018
Rather than cataloguing Ethiopia’s turbulent modern history, Ms Edemariam stitches together the fragmentary memories and experiences of a single woman.

— The Economist, "A child bride who longed to dance," 22 Mar. 2018
Google and Facebook have shared some fragmentary information with the Seattle commission, and through them Sanders is getting his own window into the online political marketplace.

— Washington Post, "Digital ads, social media hide political campaign messaging," 11 Mar. 2018
Adrienne Kennedy’s brief, fragmentary play about an interracial romance in the Jim Crow South brings its lovers together and apart for the last time.

— alexis soloski, New York Times, "What’s New in NYC Theater," 8 Feb. 2018
The midcentury ships reflected the spiky decorative taste of that period, but the glory days of ocean travel were soon to become a thing of the past, recalled through the fragmentary but potent evocations in this transporting exhibition.

— hamish bowles, Vogue, "Two If By Sea: In London, a Look at the World's Most Luxurious Ocean Liners," 2 Mar. 2018
As a consequence, fragmentary and spasmodic reforms have failed to reach down to the profoundest needs of the poor.

— valerie strauss, Washington Post, "Martin Luther King Jr. on the problem with ‘so-called educated people’," 15 Jan. 2018
Blocks of text beneath the images suggest fragmentary and somewhat disturbing narratives having to do with girl trouble, problems finding a job, racial profiling.

— annie leibovitz, Vogue, "Lorna Simpson, America’s Most Defiant Conceptual Artist, Makes A Radical Change—To Painting," 9 Feb. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of fragmentary

¹fragment + ²-ary

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First Known Use: 1611

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FRAGMENTARY Defined for English Language Learners

fragmentary

adjective

Definition of fragmentary for English Language Learners

: made up of parts or pieces : made up of fragments

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fragmentary

Definition of fragmentary

fragmentarily

fragmentariness

Examples of fragmentary in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of fragmentary

fragmentary Synonyms

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FRAGMENTARY Defined for English Language Learners

fragmentary

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