fraction

C1 Topic:Numbers & Quantity

US /ˈfɹæk.ʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #12091

Meanings

1

noun
A small part of something larger.

Only a small fraction of the students passed the difficult exam.
2

noun
A number that expresses part of a whole, such as 1/2 or 3/4.

The teacher showed the class how to add two fractions together.
3

noun
A very small amount.

She finished the race a fraction faster than her rival.

Thesaurus

Word family

Forms fractions

Derived forms abfractionbiofractioncontinued-fractionfractilefractionablefractionalfractionalismfractionalistfractionalityfractionalizationfractionalizefractionalizing

Related forms divisionfractalfractious fracture fragile fragileness fragility fragment frailfrailnessfrailtyfrangibility

Etymology

Etymology tree Middle English fraccioun English fraction From Middle English fraccioun (“a breaking”), from Anglo-Norman, Old French fraccion, from Medieval Latin fractio (“a fragment, portion”), from earlier Latin fractio (“a breaking, a breaking into pieces”), from fractus, past participle of frangere (“to break”) (whence English frangible), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (English break). Doublet of frazione.

*bʰreg- Proto-Indo-European fraccioun Middle English fraccion Old French fractio Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Numbers & Quantity Word Formation & Derivatives

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# fraction

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈfɹæk.ʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 12091

## Meanings
1. A small part of something larger.
2. A number that expresses part of a whole, such as 1/2 or 3/4.
3. A very small amount.

## Examples
- Only a small fraction of the students passed the difficult exam.
- The teacher showed the class how to add two fractions together.
- She finished the race a fraction faster than her rival.

## Derived Forms
- abfraction
- biofraction
- continued-fraction
- fractile
- fractionable
- fractional
- fractionalism
- fractionalist
- fractionality
- fractionalization
- fractionalize
- fractionalizing

## Related Forms
- division
- fractal
- fractious
- fracture
- fragile
- fragileness
- fragility
- fragment
- frail
- frailness
- frailty
- frangibility

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *bʰreg-
- Root: fraccioun
- Root: fraccion
- Root: fractio

## Etymology
Etymology tree Middle English fraccioun English fraction From Middle English fraccioun (“a breaking”), from Anglo-Norman, Old French fraccion, from Medieval Latin fractio (“a fragment, portion”), from earlier Latin fractio (“a breaking, a breaking into pieces”), from fractus, past participle of frangere (“to break”) (whence English frangible), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (English break). Doublet of frazione.

## AI Etymology
Fraction is from Middle English fraccioun (“a breaking”), from Anglo-Norman, Old French fraccion, from Medieval Latin fractio (“a fragment, portion”), from earlier Latin fractio (“a breaking, a breaking into pieces”), from fractus, past participle of frangere (“to break”) (whence English frangible), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (English break). Doublet of frazione. In present-day use, it can mean a small part of something larger, or a number that expresses part of a whole, such as 1/2 or 3/4. Related forms include division, fractal, fractious, fracture, fragile. Derived formations include abfraction, biofraction, continued-fraction, fractile, fractionable.

## Topics
- Numbers & Quantity
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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