partial

play

adjective par·tial \ ˈpär-shəl \

Definition of partial

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 pizza

She's partial to tall men with blond hair.

See partial defined for English-language learners

See partial defined for kids

Examples of partial in a Sentence

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 of partial from the Web

There was also a partial eclipse in the Kankakee area on June 30, 1954.

— kitty conley, Post-Tribune, "Saint Mary's kids watch solar eclipse on playground," 28 Aug. 2017
A partial solar eclipse was visible across the entire North American continent along with parts of South America, Africa, and Europe.

— AL.com, "Favorite NASA images of the Great American Eclipse of 2017," 22 Aug. 2017
Millions more outside the path of totality beheld a partial eclipse, still stunning as the moon took a healthy bite of our star.

— Bloomberg.com, "Solar Eclipse Awes America With a Glimpse of Totality," 21 Aug. 2017
Even those who aren't in the path of the complete eclipse will experience a partial eclipse.

— kacy burdette, Fortune, "Brainstorm Health: Charlottesville and Health Care, New Blood Pressure Guidelines," 21 Aug. 2017
In the rest of the country, a partial eclipse will be visible.

— brittney mcnamara, Teen Vogue, "Former Northwestern Professor Accused of Murder Reportedly Acted on a Fantasy," 21 Aug. 2017
Many were surprised the sky did not noticeably darken during the partial eclipse.

— Naperville Sun, "Eclipse viewing at Naper Settlement draws more than 1,400 people," 21 Aug. 2017
In less than a week, the entirety of North America will experience a partial or total eclipse, where the sun will temporarily be blocked by the moon.

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "The Tricky Way We Define a Moon," 16 Aug. 2017
The decision was a partial reversal of an earlier ruling by Judge Watson that had blocked the ban from taking effect.

— miriam jordan, New York Times, "Grandparents Win Reprieve From Trump Travel Ban in Federal Court," 14 July 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of partial

Middle English parcial, from Late Latin partialis, from Latin part-, pars part

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

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partial Synonyms

Synonyms

biased, one-sided, parti pris, partisan, prejudiced

partial

noun

Definition of partial

:overtone 1a

Origin and Etymology of partial

see ¹partial

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1873

See Words from the same year

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff, segue

PARTIAL Defined for English Language Learners

partial

play

adjective

Definition of partial for English Language Learners

: not complete or total
: tending to treat one person, group, or thing better than another

PARTIAL Defined for Kids

partial

play

adjective par·tial \ ˈpär-shəl \

Definition of partial for Students

1 :not complete

a partial success

a partial eclipse

2 :favoring one side of a question over another

I'm too partial to be a fair judge.

3 :fond or too fond of someone or something

Grandma is partial to ice cream sodas.

—

partially

\ˈpär-shə-lē\ adverb

Word Root of partial

The Latin word pars, meaning “part,” and its form partis give us the root part. Words from the Latin pars have something to do with a part, section, or portion. To participate is to take part in some activity. Anything partial involves only part of something. A particle is a tiny bit or portion of something. It is easy to see that part itself also comes directly from pars in both form and meaning.