partial

adjective

ˈpär-shəl How to pronounce partial (audio)
Definition of partialnext
1
as in distorted
inclined to favor one side over another that judge is always partial to the defense, so be careful

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inclined
having a liking or affection partial to chocolate cake

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in incomplete
lacking some necessary part a partial answer to the problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 partial In 2020, another researcher discovered a related problem, and the PHP overseers issued a partial fix. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026 To maintain order across the country, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that only protests organized by unions are authorized on Saturday, with partial curfews put in place in several cities. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 23 Oct. 2026 The Clippers were without key players Bradley Beal (right knee injury management), Brandon Ingram (right heel surgery) and Max Strus (right plantar fascia partial tear). — CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 Abu Simbel, on the shores of Lake Nasser south of Aswan, will also see a 92% partial solar eclipse. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for partial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for partial
  1. distorted
  2. inclined
  3. incomplete
  4. hostile
  5. attached
  6. biased
  7. fond
  8. partisan
Adjective
  • Co-produced by John Congleton, the record swaps synth-pop for gutter-punk, with distorted guitars and clattering surf riffs as its weapons of choice.
    — Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Obviously, a child who recently suffered a serious head trauma is far from a reliable narrator, and in the premiere, Paley leans into the subjectivity with distorted sound and imagery.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of distorted
Adjective
  • There’s a performance aspect to reality television, to people who are politically inclined.
    — Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
  • If the brand fits that aesthetic, the audience is far more inclined to become the brand’s customers.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of inclined
Adjective
  • Product details can be incomplete or out of date, especially when inventory and promos are turning over by the hour.
    — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • In many ways, the Kar-Jenners have been victims of it, too—which just makes Van Meter’s account feel even more incomplete.
    — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of incomplete
Adjective
  • Defeat effectiveness exceeded approximately 75 to 80 percent, while operator observations indicated the system was even more effective at preventing hostile UAS from successfully completing their missions.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Yet another challenge came from the local community, which has historically been hostile to new development.
    — Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of hostile
Adjective
  • The fire appeared to have destroyed the attached garage of the condo complex, and at least four vehicles appeared to have been destroyed inside the garage.
    — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Outside are a patio, mature landscaping, and an attached garage.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of attached
Adjective
  • In prior internal meetings and emails, staff and consultants had criticized Citation’s water sampling practices as biased in favor of the company’s conclusion that rainfall was causing old pollution to resurface.
    — Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 27 Oct. 2026
  • With this decision, one of the last important barriers to gerrymandering fell, and many state governments promptly set off on a spree of biased mapmaking, hoping to stack the deck before the big card game this November.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of biased
Adjective
  • Liverpool have fond memories of facing Chelsea in this competition.
    — Gregg Evans, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Beneath the spy plots, then, is a fond portrait of a group of people held in perpetual disgrace for their shortcomings, and thus forced to find individual paths to redemption.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of fond
Adjective
  • Are voters okay with these increasingly partisan political maps?
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • On the ballot again is former Democratic Coroner Dotti Owens, who served two terms until she was ousted in 2022 by Republican Rich Riffle, in a year in which Republicans won every partisan, countywide race in Ada.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of partisan

Phrases Containing partial

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parted (with)
partial
partialities
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Cite this Entry

“Partial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/partial. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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