Partial
1) Not complete or whole; existing only in part. 2) Favoring one thing over another; biased or prejudiced.
adjectivePartial
1) Not complete or whole; existing only in part. 2) Favoring one thing over another; biased or prejudiced.
adjectiveImagine This
Imagine a mural that is only partially painted—sections are finished while others remain blank, so the image is a partial view of the intended scene.
Sounds Like
PAHR-shuhl
Looks Like
Looks like the root 'part' plus the suffix -ial, suggesting a relation to a piece rather than the whole.
Remember This
Partial can mean incomplete (not whole) or biased (favoring something). Common phrases include 'partial to' (to favor) and 'partial credit' (credit given for part of the work).
Other Forms
Connect With
part, portion, fraction, incomplete, biased, prejudice, partial to
Note
Do not confuse with 'part' (a piece of something) or with 'partially' (adverb meaning to a limited extent). When describing bias, use phrases like 'partial to' or 'partial toward'.