part

noun

\ ˈpärt

Definition of part

(Entry 1 of 5)

1a(1) : one of the often indefinite or unequal subdivisions into which something is or is regarded as divided and which together constitute the whole … the road was passable only part of the year …— Samuel Johnson

(2) : an essential portion or integral element Change is an inevitable part of life.

b : one of several or many equal units of which something is composed or into which it is divisible : an amount equal to another amount mix one part of the powder with three parts of water

c(1) : an exact divisor of a quantity : aliquot

(2) : partial fraction

d : one of the constituent elements of a plant or animal body: such as

(1) : organ, member The stomach is part of the digestive system.

(2) parts plural : private parts

e : a division of a literary work a novel in four parts

f(1) : a vocal or instrumental line or melody in concerted music or in harmony

(2) : a particular voice or instrument in concerted music also : the score for it the violin part

g : a constituent member of a machine or other apparatus the parts of an airplane also : a spare part automobile parts

2 : something falling to one in a division or apportionment : share wanted no part of the proposal

3 : one's share or allotted task (as in an action) : duty one must do one's part

4 : one of the opposing sides in a conflict or dispute he that is not against us is on our part — Mark 9:40 (King James Version)

5 : a general area of indefinite boundaries —usually used in plural you're not from around these partstook off for parts unknown

6 : a function or course of action performed objected to the government's part in the strike

7a : an actor's lines in a play, movie, etc. The actress learned her part well.

b : the role of a character in a play, movie, etc. played the part of the villain

8 : a constituent of character or capacity : talent a man of many parts

9 : the line where the hair is parted His part was on the left side of his head.

for one's part

: as far as one's share or interest is concerned for my part, I do not see that the difference is important— Mary McCarthy

for the most part

: in general : on the whole for the most part the crowd was orderly

in part

: in some degree : partially

on one's part or on the part of one

: with regard to the one specified

part

verb

parted; parting; parts

Definition of part (Entry 2 of 5)

intransitive verb

1a : to separate from or take leave of someone

b : to take leave of one another

2 : to become separated into parts

3a : to go away : depart

b : die

4 : to become separated, detached, or broken

5 : to relinquish possession or control hated to part with that money

transitive verb

1a : to divide into parts

b : to separate by combing on each side of a line

c : to break or suffer the breaking of (something, such as a rope or anchor chain)

2 : to divide into shares and distribute : apportion

3a : to remove from contact or association if aught but death part thee and me — Ruth 1:17 (King James Version)

b : to keep separate the narrow channel that parts England from France

c : to hold (people, such as brawlers) apart

d : to separate by a process of extraction, elimination, or secretion

4a archaic : leave, quit

b dialectal British : relinquish, give up

part company

1 : to end a relationship or association

2 : to diverge from another (as in opinion) —often used with with

part

adverb

Definition of part (Entry 3 of 5)

: partly

part

adjective

Definition of part (Entry 4 of 5)

: partial sense 1

part

abbreviation

Definition of part (Entry 5 of 5)

1 participial; participle

2 particular

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about part

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Choose the Right Synonym for part

Noun

part, portion, piece, member, division, section, segment, fragment mean something less than the whole. part is a general term appropriate when indefiniteness is required. they ran only part of the way portion implies an assigned or allotted part. cut the pie into six portions piece applies to a separate or detached part of a whole. a puzzle with 500 pieces member suggests one of the functional units composing a body. a structural member division applies to a large or diversified part. the manufacturing division of the company section applies to a relatively small or uniform part. the entertainment section of the newspaper segment applies to a part separated or marked out by or as if by natural lines of cleavage. the retired segment of the population fragment applies to a part produced by or as if by breaking off. only a fragment of the play still exists

Verb

separate, part, divide, sever, sunder, divorce mean to become or cause to become disunited or disjointed. separate may imply any of several causes such as dispersion, removal of one from others, or presence of an intervening thing. separated her personal life from her career part implies the separating of things or persons in close union or association. vowed never to part divide implies separating into pieces or sections by cutting or breaking. civil war divided the nation sever implies violence especially in the removal of a part or member. a severed limb sunder suggests violent rending or wrenching apart. a city sundered by racial conflict divorce implies separating two things that commonly interact and belong together. cannot divorce scientific research from moral responsibility

Noun

part, portion, and section mean something less than the whole to which it belongs. part is used when something is taken away from the whole or thought of as being separate from the rest. A part of the room is used for storage. portion is used when a whole has been divided into assigned parts. Cut the pie into six portions. section is used if the parts of the whole are recognizable and have been separated by or as if by cutting. This newspaper has four sections.

Examples of part in a Sentence

Noun

The entire book is good, but the best part is the ending. I don't remember him saying that. I must have missed that part. The mechanic had to order the part from the manufacturer. The parts of a radio include the speaker, dials, and antenna. Do you have any spare parts for this model of car? the moving parts of the machine parts of the human body My favorite part of the chicken is the drumstick. a diagram labeling the different parts of the flower Come join us and be part of a winning team.

Verb

The crowd parted to let the president through. The rain stopped and the clouds parted. The big red curtains parted to reveal a new car! The Bible tells the story of how God parted the Red Sea. She closed her eyes and parted her lips. She parts her hair on the side. His dark hair was parted down the middle. The two lovers parted at dawn. Tomorrow we shall part and, I fear, never see each other again. She couldn't bear the thought of parting from her family.

Adverb

The story is part science and part fiction. The Chimera is a monster in Greek mythology that is part lion, part goat, and part serpent.

Adjective

The claim is a part truth—there is more to the story than they are telling you.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Gurung spent years living in Mumbai and other parts of Asia after having grown up in Nepal, so a key tentpole of his brand remains celebrating the visibility and diversity of South Asia. — Zachary Schwartz, Vogue, "Prabal Gurung Breaks Naan With Fashion’s Finest at His Post-Show Dinner," 11 Feb. 2019 The wreck was confirmed on January 31 by the research ship R/V Petrel, part of Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen’s wide-ranging effort to locate the wrecks of famous ships worldwide. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Sunken Japanese World War II Battleship Discovered Off Solomon Islands," 7 Feb. 2019 Take two ice cubes in your freezer, and very quickly — so as to not heat any part of them to their melting point — stack them on top of each another. — Brian Resnick, Vox, "The surprising science of why ice is so slippery," 31 Jan. 2019 For so long, the film industry has only been able to conceive of black, brown, and Asian woman as ancillary parts to white narratives. — Kyndall Cunningham, Glamour, "The Oscar Race Is All About Gaga vs. Glenn—But What About Women of Color?," 22 Jan. 2019 So part of Altria’s investment involved giving an unprecedented bonus of $2 billion to Juul’s 1,500 employees — averaging out to more than $1 million each. — Recode Staff, Recode, "Recode Daily: Wealth managers and charities are looking forward to an IPO-rich 2019," 21 Dec. 2018 But scooter parts have also ended up in other weird places, like the grocery store. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "The weirdest places we found scooters in 2018," 21 Dec. 2018 Fashion has been a constant in Balinska’s life in part thanks to her mother, Lorraine Pascale, the former model turned chef turned best-selling author. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "Meet the Charlie’s Angels Star Who Stole the Show at Couture Week in Paris," 25 Jan. 2019 That’s in part because these are the places most likely to have actual holes cut into the building envelope to make way for pipes and wires. — Barbara Eldredge, Curbed, "How to save on utility bills," 25 Jan. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Fico has also refused to part ways with his close ally, Interior Minister Robert Kalinak, as demanded by the opposition during the protests. — Radoslav Tomek, Bloomberg.com, "Slovak Premier Sees Soros Behind Plan to Topple His Government," 6 Mar. 2018 But the following year, the couple parted ways after a seven-year engagement. — Emma Dibdin, Country Living, "A Complete Guide to Chad Michael Murray's Relationships," 4 Nov. 2018 Underachieving teams may also be more willing to part with their stars by then -- Joshua, Miami. — Ira Winderman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "ASK IRA: Is Duncan Robinson making himself a Heat keeper?," 9 July 2018 But 10 days after signing up and parting with a crisp $1, my helmet still hadn’t arrived. — Ben Stewart, Popular Mechanics, "48 Hours Without Four Wheels: What I Learned Living the Ridesharing Scooter Life," 5 June 2018 This brand revitalization came to a swift halt in November, though, after Brett parted ways with J.Crew, citing disagreements with the board. — Chavie Lieber, Vox, "A breakdown of this year’s brand winners and losers.," 27 Dec. 2018 And today in Manhattan the mogul did it again, this time with an entirely new take on her signature polished updo: her honeyed lengths parted to the side, curled and thrown up high, with one strategic strand left loosely tucked. — Jenna Rennert, Vogue, "Jennifer Lopez Proves She Has the Best Ponytail Game in Hollywood," 12 Dec. 2018 The bun was low and securely pinned to the nape of her neck, her hair was parted right down the middle, and a few face-framing tendrils were loosely curled and left free to add movement and soften the look. — Andrea Park, Glamour, "Meghan Markle Brought Back Her Wedding Hair For Her First Trip to Sussex," 3 Oct. 2018 The royal big sister arrived for the christening of her little brother Prince Louis on Monday morning with her hair parted down the middle. — Maura Hohman, PEOPLE.com, "Princess Charlotte Just Debuted a Brand-New Hair Style — Featuring a Perfect Part!," 9 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

François Girard’s take — part mysterious, part mystifying — on Wagner’s last opera is one of the Met’s most interesting productions of the last decade or so, and returns for the first time since its premiere in 2013. — David Allen, New York Times, "Classical Music in NYC This Week," 1 Feb. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Friday lunch is one of the most remarkable dining experiences in the country, part century-old tradition, part boozy revelry. — Paul Oswell, Condé Nast Traveler, "21 Best Restaurants in New Orleans," 28 Feb. 2018 The song, written by two Parkland students, was part anthem, part rallying cry, expressing their pain in the wake of one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern US history. — Madison Park, CNN, "Marjory Stoneman Douglas students sing 'Seasons of Love' in emotional performance at Tony Awards," 10 June 2018 The song, written by two Parkland students, was part anthem, part rallying cry, expressing their pain in the wake of one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern US history. — Madison Park, CNN, "Marjory Stoneman Douglas students sing 'Seasons of Love' in emotional performance at Tony Awards," 10 June 2018 The song, written by two Parkland students, was part anthem, part rallying cry, expressing their pain in the wake of one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern US history. — Madison Park, CNN, "Marjory Stoneman Douglas students sing 'Seasons of Love' in emotional performance at Tony Awards," 10 June 2018 The song, written by two Parkland students, was part anthem, part rallying cry, expressing their pain in the wake of one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern US history. — Madison Park, CNN, "Marjory Stoneman Douglas students sing 'Seasons of Love' in emotional performance at Tony Awards," 10 June 2018 The song, written by two Parkland students, was part anthem, part rallying cry, expressing their pain in the wake of one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern US history. — Madison Park, CNN, "Marjory Stoneman Douglas students sing 'Seasons of Love' in emotional performance at Tony Awards," 10 June 2018 The song, written by two Parkland students, was part anthem, part rallying cry, expressing their pain in the wake of one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern US history. — Madison Park, CNN, "Marjory Stoneman Douglas students sing 'Seasons of Love' in emotional performance at Tony Awards," 10 June 2018 The song, written by two Parkland students, was part anthem, part rallying cry, expressing their pain in the wake of one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern US history. — Madison Park, CNN, "Marjory Stoneman Douglas students sing 'Seasons of Love' in emotional performance at Tony Awards," 10 June 2018

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

First Known Use of part

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for part

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Old English, both from Latin part-, pars; perhaps akin to Latin parare to prepare — more at pare

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French partir, from Latin partire to divide, from part-, pars

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Dictionary Entries near part

Statistics for part

Last Updated

15 Feb 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for part

The first known use of part was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for part

part

noun

English Language Learners Definition of part

(Entry 1 of 3)

: one of the pieces, sections, qualities, etc., that make or form something

: one of the pieces that are put together to form a machine

: one of the pieces or areas of the body of a plant or animal

part

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of part (Entry 2 of 3)

: somewhat but not completely : to some extent or in some degree

part

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of part (Entry 3 of 3)

: not complete or total

See the full definition for part in the English Language Learners Dictionary

part

noun

\ ˈpärt

Kids Definition of part

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : one of the sections into which something is divided This is the best part of the movie. That wasn't part of our agreement.

2 : some of something My dog is part husky. I spent part of my day reading.

3 : a general area She moved to another part of the state.

4 : a piece of a machine

5 : one of the sides or aspects The best part of camp is making new friends.

6 : the role of a character in a play

7 : a line along which the hair is divided

8 : a person's share or duty I did my part for the team.

9 : the music for a voice or instrument the soprano part

10 : a voice or instrument four-part harmony

11 : a piece of a plant or animal body

for the most part

: with few exceptions : on the whole They were, for the most part, very pleased.

part

verb

parted; parting

Kids Definition of part (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : to leave each other They parted at the intersection.

2 : to separate the hair by combing on each side of a line

3 : to give up possession of She won't part with her money.

4 : to hold apart He parted the curtains.

5 : to come apart The crowd parted to let us through.

6 : to divide into parts

part.

abbreviation

Kids Definition of part.

participle

part

noun

\ ˈpärt

Medical Definition of part

1 : one of several or many like units into which something is divided or of which it is composed : a proportional division or ingredient mix the powder with three parts of water

2 : a portion of an animal body: as

a : an essential anatomical element : organ, member the chief parts of the digestive system are the esophagus, stomach, intestine, and associated glands

b : an indefinite area or one lacking or not considered in respect to a natural boundary bathe the affected part with warm water