partial
partial Lexical Profile
partial Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Existing only in part; incomplete or not total.
"The company offered a partial refund after the flight was delayed for several hours."
Favoring one side in a dispute above the other; biased or unfair.
"A referee must remain strictly neutral and never make partial decisions on the field."
Having a strong liking or fondness for a particular thing or person (usually followed by 'to').
"My grandfather has always been partial to a warm cup of herbal tea before bedtime."
• noun
A component tone of a complex musical sound, such as the fundamental tone or any of its overtones.
"The rich timbre of a church bell comes from the complex interaction of its lower and upper partials."
A removable dental appliance that replaces one or more missing teeth; a partial denture.
"The dentist fitted him with a comfortable acrylic partial to replace the two missing molars."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse the two primary adjective senses: in general contexts, 'partial' means incomplete (opposite of 'complete' or 'total'), whereas when referring to judgment or preference, it means biased or having a liking for something (opposite of 'impartial'). In the latter sense of having a fondness, it is used predicatively and followed by 'to' (e.g., 'partial to chocolate').
• Rhymes for partial
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in Middle English from Old French 'parcial', from Late Latin 'partialis' ('relating to a part' or 'divisible'), derived from Latin 'pars' ('part' or 'piece').