1
: of or relating to a part rather than the whole : not general or total
a partial solution
a partial payment
2
3
: markedly fond of someone or something
—used with to
partial to pizza
She's partial to tall men with blond hair.
Examples of partial in a Sentence
Adjective
These plants prefer full sun or partial shade.
The partial ban on immigration has been lifted.
His latest play was deemed only a partial success by the critics.
a partial eclipse of the sun
He wears a partial denture.
She suggested a partial solution to the problem.
A referee must not be partial toward either team.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lorie Konish, CNBC, 13 June 2025
Panthers take first penalty, Edmonton gets its first goal
Seconds after Edmonton defenseman Evan Bouchard air mailed a partial breakaway, he got slashed by Sam Bennett.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 13 June 2025
Jamie Carter, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
The journals’ reviewers wanted complete genome sequences, but the team had only partials.
—David Quammen, New York Times, 25 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for partial
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Adjective
There are 17 million children whose parents receive either no child tax credit or a partial credit because their income is too low, and the House Republicans’ plan would add 3 million to that number, according to Adam Ruben, director of advocacy organization Economic Security Project Action.
—Lorie Konish, CNBC, 13 June 2025
Panthers take first penalty, Edmonton gets its first goal
Seconds after Edmonton defenseman Evan Bouchard air mailed a partial breakaway, he got slashed by Sam Bennett.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 13 June 2025
Noun
The next two solar eclipses are partials on March 29, 2025 (Europe, northern Asia, north and west Africa, North America, northern South America, the Atlantic and Arctic) and Sept. 21, 2025 (southern Australia, the Pacific, the Atlantic and Antarctica).
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
The journals’ reviewers wanted complete genome sequences, but the team had only partials.
—David Quammen, New York Times, 25 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for partial
Cite this Entry
“Partial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/partial. Accessed 22 Jun. 2025.
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