part

noun

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\ ˈpärt

plural parts

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 — see also take part

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 Phrases Containing part Learn More About part

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

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun They may be edited for clarity and reprinting in whole or in part in Variety publications. — Caroline Framke, Variety, 6 May 2022 In the world’s transition to lower-emission fuels, politics is a big part of both the solution and the problem. — Rochelle Toplensky, WSJ, 6 May 2022 Adapting to change is a big part of how Cascade's gotten out to a 15-3 start and the No. 5 ranking in the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 2A poll. — Akeem Glaspie, The Indianapolis Star, 6 May 2022 The endeavor was a part of the first-ever Mexico Week, in which the consul general of Mexico in Chicago organized several events to celebrate Mexican culture and aim to challenge the stereotypical Cinco de Mayo celebrations taking place. — Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2022 Winfield said carving out people convicted of certain serious crimes is a part of the negotiating required to get the budget through the legislature. — Kelan Lyons, Hartford Courant, 6 May 2022 Like the rest of the world, environmental factors play a huge part in everything from pruning to planting to harvest with recent fluctuations in environmental factors that have made a need for progress impossible to ignore. — Alissa Fitzgerald, Forbes, 5 May 2022 Makes sense, considering Samar has already played a major part in Aram's story. — Alamin Yohannes, EW.com, 5 May 2022 Modern-day Switzerland became part of the Roman Empire in 15 B.C.E., under the emperor Augustus. — Elizabeth Djinis, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 May 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb It is known that the Yorkshire club are not going to part ways with the 26 year old for less than £50 million, but he is seen as a more realistic player to come in this summer than West Ham United’s Declan Rice. — Liam Canning, Forbes, 27 Apr. 2022 There are a lot of good wide receivers in the 2022 draft and teams who select one might be willing or forced for salary cap reasons to part with a veteran. — Tom Silverstein, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2022 That sentiment is even echoed at the end of the Julia episode, when Child and Beard finally part ways after their wild weekend together. — Stacy Lambe, Town & Country, 14 Apr. 2022 Guests not ready to part with their new foliage friends can take home one houseplant and its container, and purchase additional plants from the collection. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2022 The Ducks confirmed the deal Monday to part ways with Manson, an eight-year NHL veteran who has spent his entire career in Anaheim. — Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2022 Is the final straw in what leads to Miguel and Rebecca to part ways in this time period related to the fact that Miguel will become a Y2K doomsday prepper? — Dan Snierson, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2022 The Cowboys, who already are projected to be about $21 million over the salary cap, are expected to part ways with Cooper before then. — Matt Young, Chron, 4 Mar. 2022 Post Malone is ready to part with one of his all-white speed machines. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 3 Mar. 2022 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, 1 Feb. 2018 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective The broader unemployment measure (U6) which includes those working part-time, but wanting full-time, rose to 7.0% from 6.9%. — Robert Barone, Forbes, 7 May 2022 Having left the hollers of Kentucky eight years ago, Raylan Givens now lives in Miami, a walking anachronism balancing his life as a U.S. Marshal and part-time father of a 15-year-old girl. — Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 May 2022 Offensive tackle Wyatt Green, a part-time starter in 2020, will graduate this month and has elected to enter the workforce. — Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 4 May 2022 Election observers noted that Monday’s electorate included more part-time workers, which might have impacted support for the union drive. — Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 3 May 2022 Amazon captured over 60 percent of the vote at the warehouse, which opened in 2020 and employs many part-time workers. — NBC News, 2 May 2022 Yet living part-time with Shelton in Los Angeles was different. — Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2022 Co-founder Jack Dorsey, who was CEO of Twitter in his second stint, from 2015 to 2021, and heads payments company Block Inc., came under fire from activist investor Elliott Management Corp. for being a part-time chief. — Rebecca Elliott, WSJ, 26 Apr. 2022 Some have just a part-time Spanish teacher, and only one has both an art and music teacher. — Washington Post, 25 Apr. 2022 See More

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

Learn More About part

Dictionary Entries Near part

pars rationabilis

part

partage

Statistics for part

Last Updated

8 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Part.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/part. Accessed 17 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for part

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

Choose the Right Synonym for part

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.

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