You use partial to refer to something that is not complete or whole.
He managed to reach a partial agreement with both republics.
...a partial ban on the use of cars in the city.
...partial blindness.
2. adjective
If you are partial to something, you like it.
He's partial to sporty women with blue eyes. [+ to]
Mollie confesses she is rather partial to pink.
I am partial to baking cookies.
partiality (pɑːʳʃiælɪti)uncountable noun
He has a great partiality for chocolate biscuits. [+ for]
Synonyms: bias, preference, prejudice, favouritism More Synonyms of partial
Synonyms: liking, love, taste, weakness More Synonyms of partial
3. adjective [verb-link ADJECTIVE]
Someone who is partial supports a particular person or thing, for example in a competition or dispute, instead of being completely fair.
I might be accused of being partial.
partialityuncountable noun
She is criticized by some others for her one-sidedness and partiality.
Synonyms: bias, preference, prejudice, favouritism More Synonyms of partial
Synonyms: liking, love, taste, weakness More Synonyms of partial
More Synonyms of partial
partial in British English
(ˈpɑːʃəl)
adjective
1.
relating to only a part; not general or complete
a partial explanation
2.
biased
a partial judge
3. (postpositive; foll byto)
having a particular liking (for)
4. botany
a.
constituting part of a larger structure
a partial umbel
b.
used for only part of the life cycle of a plant
a partial habitat
c.
(of a parasite) not exclusively parasitic
5. mathematics
designating or relating to an operation in which only one of a set of independent variables is considered at a time
noun
6. Also called: partial tone music, acoustics
any of the component tones of a single musical sound, including both those that belong to the harmonic series of the sound and those that do not
7. mathematics
a partial derivative
▶ USAGE Partially and partly are to some extent interchangeable, but partly should be used when referring to a part or parts of something: the building is partly (not partially) of stone, while partially is preferred for the meaning to some extent: his mother is partially (not partly) sighted
Derived forms
partially (ˈpartially)
adverb
partialness (ˈpartialness)
noun
Word origin
C15: from Old French parcial, from Late Latin partiālis incomplete, from Latin parspart
partial in American English
(ˈpɑrʃəl)
adjective
1.
favoring one person, faction, etc. more than another; biased; prejudiced
2.
of, being, or affecting only a part; not complete or total
noun
3.
partial tone
4.
a partial artificial denture
Idioms:
partial to
Derived forms
partially (ˈpartially)
adverb
Word origin
ME parcial < MFr partial < LL partialis < L pars, part1
partial in Insurance
(pɑrʃəl)
adjective
(Insurance: Underwriting)
A partial loss is a situation in which property covered by insurance is damaged but not completely destroyed, so that the insurer does not have to pay the full amount.
A partial loss under an insurance policy does not completely destroy or render worthless theinsured property.
A partial loss is a loss involving less than all of the values insured or calling on the policyto pay less than its maximum amounts.
A partial loss is a situation in which property covered by insurance is damaged but not completelydestroyed, so that the insurer does not have to pay the full amount.
Examples of 'partial' in a sentence
partial
Wholesale energy prices have risen because of the weak pound and partial recovery in oil prices.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It costs 249 and if it doesn't work the manufacturers offer a partial refund.
The Sun (2016)
What if the bank offers a partial refund?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Sceptics wonder if friendship and the sharing of a commercial representative provides partial explanation.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The result is death or partial paralysis.
Holford, Patrick The Family Nutrition Workbook (1988)
It has now agreed to a partial solution.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
He was suffering temporary partial paralysis in his legs.
The Sun (2010)
He experienced pain and partial paralysis down his leg.
The Sun (2010)
National differences in factor abundance offer plausible partial explanations for international variations in patterns of specialization and trade.
Forstner, Helmut, Ballance, Robert Competing in a Global Economy (1990)
One partial solution to this problem is to let a car cool off completely before putting it into the garage.
Randolph, Theron G. & Moss, Ralph W. (contributor) An Alternative Approach to Allergies (1990)
Options could include a partial flotation.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
This is only a partial explanation.
Peter F. Drucker MANAGING IN TURBULENT TIMES (1980)
The partial eclipse will be over shortly after 11am.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
You can also claim partial refunds for any credit-card penalties you incurred over the past six years.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
One partial solution is to use resources far, far more efficiently.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
There are many factors, many partial explanations.
Christianity Today (2000)
Her lawyers say that she also suffered serious brain damage, leading to partial paralysis and balance problems.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
A partial recovery is predicted for the second half of next year.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
For those lucky enough to have had clear skies, the partial solar eclipse yesterday was a wondrous sight.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
After his body became covered in blisters his mother took him to hospital, where he made a partial recovery.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Significant numbers leave within the first few weeks, while they are eligible for a partial refund of their course fees.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
If the item is years old you are likely to be offered a partial refund - but this is still worth pursuing.
The Sun (2014)
A smaller partial eclipse will also appear in southeastern Australia.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Science, for me, gives a partial explanation of life.
The Times Literary Supplement (2012)
The partial recovery followed a 15 per cent slump on Wednesday.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
There was a partial recovery for the three weeks of the Games with a 9 per cent drop overall.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Yet he said he could see'light at the end of the tunnel' and the approach of partial privatisation next year.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
In other languages
partial
British English: partial /ˈpɑːʃəl/ ADJECTIVE
You use partial to refer to something that is true or exists to some extent, but is not complete or total.
The event was only a partial success.
American English: partial
Arabic: جُزْئِيٌ
Brazilian Portuguese: parcial
Chinese: 部分的
Croatian: djelomičan
Czech: částečný
Danish: delvis
Dutch: gedeeltelijk
European Spanish: parcial
Finnish: osittainen
French: partiel
German: teilweise
Greek: μερικός
Italian: parziale
Japanese: 部分的な
Korean: 부분적인
Norwegian: delvis
Polish: częściowy
European Portuguese: parcial
Romanian: parțial
Russian: частичный
Latin American Spanish: parcial
Swedish: partiell
Thai: ซึ่งเป็นบางส่วน
Turkish: kısmi
Ukrainian: частковий
Vietnamese: một phần
All related terms of 'partial'
partial sum
one of a series of sums of elements of a given sequence , the first sum being the first element, the second sum being the first element added to the second element, the third sum being equal to the sum of the first three elements, and so on
partial to
fond of; having a liking for
partial tone
any of the pure , or harmonic , tones forming a complex tone; harmonic
partial eclipse
an eclipse , esp of the sun , in which the body is only partially hidden
partial product
the result obtained when a number is multiplied by one digit of a multiplier
partial refund
A refund is a sum of money which is returned to you, for example because you have paid too much or because you have returned goods to a shop .
partial derivative
the derivative of a function of two or more variables with respect to one of the variables, the other or others being considered constant . Written ∂ f /∂ x
partial fraction
one of a set of fractions into which a more complicated fraction can be resolved
partial ordering
an ordering that is reflexive , antisymmetric , and transitive , as set inclusion
partial pressure
the pressure that a gas , in a mixture of gases, would exert if it alone occupied the whole volume occupied by the mixture
partial reinforcement
the process of randomly rewarding an organism for making a response on only some of the occasions it makes it
partial-birth abortion
an abortion performed relatively late in pregnancy , in which the fetus is extracted in stages through the birth canal
partial differential equation
a differential equation containing partial derivatives
Dalton's law of partial pressures
the principle that the pressure exerted by a mixture of gases in a fixed volume is equal to the sum of the pressures that each gas would exert if it occupied the whole volume
Dalton's law
the principle that the pressure exerted by a mixture of gases in a fixed volume is equal to the sum of the pressures that each gas would exert if it occupied the whole volume
partially sighted
unable to see properly so that even with corrective aids normal activities are prevented or seriously hindered