partial

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈpɑɹʃəl/ UK /ˈpɑːʃəl/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like parcel /s/ vs /ʃ/

Freq #7987

Meanings

1

adj
Not complete; only a part of the whole.

So far the police have only a partial account of what happened.
2

adj
Unfairly supporting one person or side over another.

A good referee must never be partial to one team.
3

adj
Liking something very much (usually followed by 'to').

I am rather partial to a cup of tea in the afternoon.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not complete; only a part... incomplete fractional

3 adj · liking something very much... fond

Word family

Forms partials

Derived forms impartial impartiality impartiallynonpartialover-partialoverpartialpartialismpartialistpartialitypartializepartiallypartialness

Related forms part partly

Appears in

Phrases (3)

See all

partial breach
a failure to fulfill part of a contract that does not destroy its overall value

Adjective + noun
partial monopoly
Control over part of a market or supply without complete exclusivity.

Adjective + noun
partial truth
a statement or account that is true in some respects but leaves out relevant facts

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle English partiall, parcial, from Old French parcial (“biased or particular”), from Late Latin partiālis (“of or pertaining to a part”), from Latin pars (“part”).

partiall Middle English parcial Old French partiālis la-lat pars Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# partial

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɑɹʃəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpɑːʃəl/
**Frequency rank:** 7987

## Meanings
1. Not complete; only a part of the whole.
2. Unfairly supporting one person or side over another.
3. Liking something very much (usually followed by 'to').

## Examples
- So far the police have only a partial account of what happened.
- A good referee must never be partial to one team.
- I am rather partial to a cup of tea in the afternoon.

## Derived Forms
- impartial
- impartiality
- impartially
- nonpartial
- over-partial
- overpartial
- partialism
- partialist
- partiality
- partialize
- partially
- partialness

## Related Forms
- part
- partly

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: partiall
- Root: parcial
- Root: partiālis
- Root: pars

## Etymology
From Middle English partiall, parcial, from Old French parcial (“biased or particular”), from Late Latin partiālis (“of or pertaining to a part”), from Latin pars (“part”).

## AI Etymology
Partial comes from Middle English partiall, parcial, from Old French parcial (“biased or particular”), from Late Latin partiālis (“of or pertaining to a part”), from Latin pars (“part”). Modern senses include not complete; only a part of the whole and unfairly supporting one person or side over another. The wider word family includes derivatives such as impartial, impartiality, impartially, nonpartial, over-partial, and overpartial and related forms such as part and partly.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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