partial

adjective

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par·tial | \ ˈpär-shəl

Definition of partial

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : of or relating to a part rather than the whole : not general or total a partial solution a partial payment

2 : inclined to favor one party more than the other : biased it is inconsistent with justice to be partial— J. S. Mill

3 : markedly fond of someone or something —used with to partial to pizzaShe's partial to tall men with blond hair.

partial

noun

Definition of partial (Entry 2 of 2)

: overtone sense 1a

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about partial

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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: Adjective The Flyers then put the game on ice late in the second period when Gostisbehere, on a partial break up the left wing, and Laughton scored 4:21 apart. — John Wawrow, ajc, "Elliott stops 23 shots in Flyers' 3-0 win over Sabres," 27 Feb. 2021 The gaps were largest among lower-income families, but many above the $75,000 income level—who in the current phaseout of checks would receive partial payment—still lost out. — Roya Wolverson, Quartz, "The economic rationale for whether you deserve a stimulus check," 26 Feb. 2021 Concert promoters are publicly skeptical of partial-opening plans. — Samantha Hissong, Rolling Stone, "Why Limited-Capacity Concerts Just Don’t Make Sense," 26 Feb. 2021 Senior or disabled low-income renters may be eligible for a partial rebate of rent and utility bills, excluding telephone and cable. — courant.com, "Community News For The Putnam-Killingly Edition," 26 Feb. 2021 Some of the victims had been partial burned in a fire ignited by the two, investigators said. — William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, "2 men indicted in connection with 7 Morgan County homicides," 26 Feb. 2021 November 19 will see a partial eclipse of the moon, and skywatchers in North America and Hawaii will see it between 1 a.m. ET and 7:06 a.m. ET. — Megan Marples And Ashley Strickland, CNN, "Full moon in February 2021: When to see the Snow Moon," 26 Feb. 2021 The fund has awarded 46 full-tuition and 176 partial scholarships to 222 Morgan State University students, according to the release. — Caitlin O'kane, CBS News, "Nearly 60 years after dropping out of college because he couldn't afford it, this man donated $20M to the school for financial aid," 25 Feb. 2021 As partial outages on the internet have been rising, big firms like Amazon aren’t sitting still. — Nick Roll, The Christian Science Monitor, "The internet breaks too easily. Can that be fixed?," 25 Feb. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun So in other words, if your PIA is more than twice as much as your wife's PIA, she will be paid her own benefit plus a partial, or excess, spousal benefit, not a spousal benefit instead of her own benefit. — Laurence Kotlikoff, Forbes, "Ask Larry: Will A Spousal Benefit From My Record Increase My Wife's Social Security Benefits?," 25 Feb. 2021 Is your pet partial to a particular chair or corner of the couch? — Christina Vercelletto, CNN Underscored, "41 gifts for pets and the people who love them," 20 Nov. 2020 Is your pet partial to a particular chair or corner of the couch? — Christina Vercelletto, CNN Underscored, "41 gifts for pets and the people who love them," 20 Nov. 2020 Is your pet partial to a particular chair or corner of the couch? — Christina Vercelletto, CNN Underscored, "41 gifts for pets and the people who love them," 20 Nov. 2020 In the partial reopening, only about 80 floor brokers were welcomed back, about 25% of the number before the coronavirus pandemic. — NBC News, "Some NYSE operations to return to remote work amid case surge," 23 Dec. 2020 Is your pet partial to a particular chair or corner of the couch? — Christina Vercelletto, CNN Underscored, "41 gifts for pets and the people who love them," 20 Nov. 2020 Yet the whiplash many New York City students, parents and teachers felt — from a full shutdown before Thanksgiving to a partial reopening less than three weeks later — is not likely to abate as the fall turns to winter. — New York Times, "How New York City Plans to Keep Children Safe as Schools Reopen," 7 Dec. 2020 Is your pet partial to a particular chair or corner of the couch? — Christina Vercelletto, CNN Underscored, "41 gifts for pets and the people who love them," 20 Nov. 2020

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