Definition of partnext

part

2 of 3

adverb

part

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to separate
to go or move in different directions from a central point after traveling together for three weeks, we parted at Rome

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4

Synonym Chooser

How is the word part distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of part are division, fragment, member, piece, portion, section, and segment. While all these words mean "something less than the whole," part is a general term appropriate when indefiniteness is required.

they ran only part of the way

In what contexts can division take the place of part?

The meanings of division and part largely overlap; however, division applies to a large or diversified part.

the manufacturing division of the company

When might fragment be a better fit than part?

The words fragment and part are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fragment applies to a part produced by or as if by breaking off.

only a fragment of the play still exists

When could member be used to replace part?

While in some cases nearly identical to part, member suggests one of the functional units composing a body.

a structural member

When would piece be a good substitute for part?

Although the words piece and part have much in common, piece applies to a separate or detached part of a whole.

a puzzle with 500 pieces

Where would portion be a reasonable alternative to part?

The synonyms portion and part are sometimes interchangeable, but portion implies an assigned or allotted part.

cut the pie into six portions

When is section a more appropriate choice than part?

While the synonyms section and part are close in meaning, section applies to a relatively small or uniform part.

the entertainment section of the newspaper

When is it sensible to use segment instead of part?

In some situations, the words segment and part are roughly equivalent. However, segment applies to a part separated or marked out by or as if by natural lines of cleavage.

the retired segment of the population

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of part
Noun
Community is one of the most valuable parts of a workout class like this, said Martin, who is dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay. Sneha Dhandapani, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026 Completed in 1880 as part of the race to reach Leadville’s rich silver mines, the line once served as a major passenger and freight corridor through the Rocky Mountains. Jocelyn Rowley, Denver Post, 25 Aug. 2026
Adverb
The enclosed chamber offers very good heat regulation with an extruder fan, a part-cooling fan, an auxiliary part-cooling fan, and a fan to regulate the chamber. PC Magazine, 15 Aug. 2025 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
Verb
Already this year, surgeons parted twins from Morocco, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Tanzania. Dominic Dudley, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2026 But no smile can truly part the clouds that loom over Nacua off the gridiron. Kai Dizon, Oc Register, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for part
Recent Examples of Synonyms for part
Noun
  • An extreme heat warning is currently in place for Death Valley, which is the lowest, hottest and driest portion of the North American continent and the United States’ largest national park outside of Alaska.
    Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In SouthPark or South Charlotte, Little Mamas offers family-sized portions of chicken or eggplant Parmesan ($53 and $32, respectively) that feed two to three people — and that’s likely to stretch further with little ones.
    Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 24 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • York became the principal owner of the 49ers in 2024 after purchasing equity shares from his family.
    Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • These questions challenge candidates to acknowledge mistakes and share credit—the antithesis of their natural motivation to self-aggrandize and create a heroic image of their impact.
    Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 24 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • One scrapbook is filled with newspaper clippings documenting the hospital's role in the community over the decades.
    Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • If cave paintings tell the stories of the earliest human life, factices — the once-ubiquitous oversized perfume bottle replicas — play a similar role in revealing the histories of fragrance.
    Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The ability for those tailings to be stored on land safely is a key debate.
    Erin Hassanzadeh, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Strancally Castle was built around 1830 on land overlooking the River Blackwater and underwent extensive renovation in 2003, according to a state architectural archive.
    Reuters, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2026
Adverb
  • Online sales accounted for 15 percent of the global art market last year, and collectors can increasingly buy from smaller auction houses halfway around the world based on catalogue photographs.
    Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The feat is the latest victory to come of the 407-feet-tall Starship's most recent flight test, which saw the world's largest rocket launch from South Texas and fly halfway around the world before the upper section landed intact in the ocean.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • This caused the prehistoric Tethys Ocean, which once separated the supercontinents of Laurasia and Gondwana, to shrink.
    Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Only once that foundation is in place does the more surprising part of Friedman's research become relevant—what separates teams that clear this bar from those that merely limp along.
    Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The animation is truly ugly, the characters moving at the framerate of a PowerPoint and looking less like the animals they’re supposed to be than weird hybrid troll creatures.
    Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of dealing with rental cars or busy trailheads, travelers just want to step out their front door, lace up and move.
    Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • For easier replanting, discard the woody central clump of the plant before dividing.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
  • There will always be a way to divide the teams with a discrepancy below that exact amount.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Part.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/part. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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