1
: of or relating to a part rather than the whole : not general or total
a partial solution
a partial payment
2
3
: markedly fond of someone or something
—used with to
partial to pizza
She's partial to tall men with blond hair.
Examples of partial in a Sentence
Adjective
These plants prefer full sun or partial shade.
The partial ban on immigration has been lifted.
His latest play was deemed only a partial success by the critics.
a partial eclipse of the sun
He wears a partial denture.
She suggested a partial solution to the problem.
A referee must not be partial toward either team.
Recent Examples on the Web
Npr's International Desk, NPR, 28 Oct. 2025
Hamas returned partial remains to Israel Monday that did not belong to any of the 13 hostages still unaccounted for in the enclave.
—Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
Jamie Carter, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
The journals’ reviewers wanted complete genome sequences, but the team had only partials.
—David Quammen, New York Times, 25 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for partial
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Adjective
Netanyahu's announcement followed his meeting with senior security ministers to discuss a response to what Israel said was Hamas' attempt to stage the return of the partial remains of a hostage whose body the militants were supposed to hand over under the terms of the ceasefire.
—Npr's International Desk, NPR, 28 Oct. 2025
Hamas returned partial remains to Israel Monday that did not belong to any of the 13 hostages still unaccounted for in the enclave.
—Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
The next two solar eclipses are partials on March 29, 2025 (Europe, northern Asia, north and west Africa, North America, northern South America, the Atlantic and Arctic) and Sept. 21, 2025 (southern Australia, the Pacific, the Atlantic and Antarctica).
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
The journals’ reviewers wanted complete genome sequences, but the team had only partials.
—David Quammen, New York Times, 25 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for partial
Cite this Entry
“Partial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/partial. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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