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

The group includes most of the world’s biggest payments companies: Mastercard Inc., Visa Inc., Paypal Holdings Inc., Stripe Inc. and Vodafone Group Plc, whose M-Pesa mobile money transfer service is dominant in parts of Africa. — Washington Post, "Facebook Finally Meets a Regulator With Bite," 18 Sep. 2019 College football is more than a sport in many parts of this country. — Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, "Tim Tebow wasn’t wrong about one important thing," 17 Sep. 2019 It is republished here as part of Scientific American’s partnership with Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of more than 250 news outlets to strengthen coverage of the climate story. — Oliver Milman, Scientific American, "The Silenced: Meet the Climate Whistle-Blowers Muzzled by the Trump Administration," 17 Sep. 2019 At the library: Novelist, actor and artist Nevada Barr will appear at 7 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Parma-Snow Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library, 2121 Snow Road, Parma as part of the fourth annual Cleveland Book Week. — Carol Kovach, cleveland.com, "Tri-C’s Encore Campus, Neighborhood Scholars programs enrich older adults: Sun Postings," 17 Sep. 2019 District Judge Hazel Jones sentenced Guardado to 20 years in prison as part of a plea agreement, KHOU reported. — Fox News, "Houston man gets 20 years for running over ex-girlfriend multiple times, prosecutors say," 17 Sep. 2019 As part of July's deal with the California Air Resources Board, the four carmakers agreed to support the state's right to set its own tailpipe standards. — Anchorage Daily News, "Trump administration moves to revoke California’s power to set stricter auto emissions standards," 17 Sep. 2019 In some ways, though, the posts reflected a culture that was long apparent in parts of the agency. — New York Times, "‘People Actively Hate Us’: Inside the Border Patrol’s Morale Crisis," 15 Sep. 2019 In most parts of California, landlords can evict a tenant without stating an explicit reason. — Matt Levin, The Mercury News, "Big rent hikes are about to be illegal in California. Here’s what you should know," 15 Sep. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Now some members of Congress are urging an independent investigation of the investigation, amid suspicions that the probe is an attempt to punish the automakers—and California—for parting ways with federal policy on fuel economy. — Aarian Marshall, Ars Technica, "The fight over fuel economy rules is getting messy," 15 Sep. 2019 Now some members of Congress are urging an independent investigation of the investigation, amid suspicions that the probe is an attempt to punish the automakers—and California—for parting ways with federal policy on fuel economy. — Wired, "The Fight Over Fuel-Economy Rules Is Getting Messy," 13 Sep. 2019 Under the weight of it all, Smith indulges a desire to part with reality. — Jake Cline, Washington Post, "Patti Smith looks back at a heartbreaking year," 17 Sep. 2019 The song was then uploaded on YouTube on Aug. 31 with English subtitles and rousing scenes from demonstrations, such as crowds parting for an ambulance, a child leading chants and a banner hung on a mountain. — New York Times, "Hong Kong Protesters, Without an Anthem to Sing, Create One Online," 12 Sep. 2019 When the paparazzi parted, TV personality Lala Anthony was found poised on Kardashian’s right, next to Libyan-American activist and model Noor Tagouri. — Raisa Bruner, Time, "Neon Wrap Dresses, Hot Pink Fanny Packs and Olympia's Fashion Debut. Inside Serena Williams' Fearless NYFW Show," 11 Sep. 2019 Franklin’s new lawyer, Michael Proctor, confirmed that the coach quickly parted ways with Avenatti. — oregonlive, "Bad blood, betrayal turns L.A. coach into Nike whistleblower," 7 Sep. 2019 The roster changes are even more dramatic in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers parted ways with a couple of All-Pro players. — Los Angeles Times, "AFC North preview: Odell Beckham and Browns have high expectations," 3 Sep. 2019 The Bears have struggled to find a consistent kicker since parting ways with career scoring leader Robbie Gould after the 2015 season. — Nancy Armour, USA TODAY, "Opinion: Doink! Chicago Bears gambling possible Super Bowl season on kicking game," 3 Sep. 2019

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

Zorro Ranch, which includes a firehouse, log cabin, guest house, pool, airstrip, antique railroad car and train tracks, is part private, part public land. — Mola Lenghi, CBS News, "What's next for Epstein's Zorro Ranch, where accusers say they were raped and trafficked," 31 Aug. 2019 The outdoor event is part English garden party and part New England clam bake, with women in period dresses and flamboyant hats flanked by men in blazers and brightly colored pants. — Fortune, "Letter From Pebble Beach: What a Disappointing Classic Car Auction Tells us About the 1%—and the Economy," 24 Aug. 2019 That's why the RiverWalk itself, launched with the creation of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy in 2002, is still only part way toward its goal of a five-mile promenade from the Ambassador Bridge to Belle Isle even after more than 15 years. — John Gallagher, Detroit Free Press, "Atwater Beach opening soon, extending Detroit's network of family friendly public spaces," 16 Aug. 2019 The movie is part fish-out-of-water tale, part Indiana Jones-esque escapade, as Dora leaves the South American jungle to navigate the social cliques and adolescent anxieties of a Los Angeles high school. — Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, "‘Dora and the Lost City of Gold’ brings positive Latino roles to the big screen," 8 Aug. 2019 To truly play the part right on October 31, consider using a fitting new witch name to use on trick-or-treaters and get in the spirit. — Blair Donovan, Country Living, "50 Best Witch Names to Upgrade Your Halloween Costume," 18 July 2019 The scene, which takes place part way through the finale episode in the first season, no longer includes footage of Hannah, played by actress Katherine Langford, dying by suicide. — Ashley Boucher, PEOPLE.com, "13 Reasons Why Edits Out Graphic Suicide from Graphic Scene in Season 1 Finale," 16 July 2019 Part scientific experiment, part public relations venture, the seeds represented a joint project between the U.S. Forest Service and NASA. — Mark Thiessen, National Geographic, "Trees that traveled to space now live on Earth. Here's where to find them.," 8 July 2019 The underpinnings of the rental renaissance are part financial, part ideological. — Sapna Maheshwari, New York Times, "They See It. They Like It. They Want It. They Rent It.," 8 June 2019

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

11 Oct 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