¹partial

adjective par·tial \ˈpär-shəl\

: not complete or total

: tending to treat one person, group, or thing better than another

Full Definition of PARTIAL

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

: inclined to favor one party more than the other : biased

: markedly fond of someone or something —used with to <partial to pizza>

See partial defined for English-language learners

See partial defined for kids

Origin of PARTIAL

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

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to PARTIAL

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

Antonyms: disinterested, equal, equitable, evenhanded, fair, impartial, neutral, nonpartisan, objective, unbiased, unprejudiced

Rhymes with PARTIAL

marshal, martial, Martial

²partial

noun

Definition of PARTIAL

: overtone 1a

First Known Use of PARTIAL

1880

Other Music Terms

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

PARTIAL Defined for Kids

partial

adjective par·tial \ˈpär-shəl\

Definition of PARTIAL for Kids

: not complete <a partial success> <a partial eclipse>

: favoring one side of a question over another <I'm too partial to be a fair judge.>

: fond or too fond of someone or something <Grandma is partial to ice cream sodas.>

— par·tial·ly \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.