Word
fractional
Phoneticsfrac·tion·al
US/ˈfɹækʃənəɫ/
UK/fɹˈækʃənəl/
Definition
adj. describing something that is very small or only a tiny part of a whole. It can also relate to fractions in math.
adj. relating to or expressed as a fraction; by extension, describing an amount that is extremely small or insignificant. Often used in technical contexts to describe the separation of components in a mixture.
Examples
“The company saw only a fractional increase in profits this year.”
“The difference in their finishing times was fractional, requiring a photo finish to determine the winner.”
“Fractional distillation allows chemists to separate a liquid mixture into its individual components by taking advantage of their differing boiling points.”
Examples
simple
“The company saw only a fractional increase in profits this year.”
contextual
“The difference in their finishing times was fractional, requiring a photo finish to determine the winner.”
complex
“Fractional distillation allows chemists to separate a liquid mixture into its individual components by taking advantage of their differing boiling points.”
Usage
Typically used attributively before a noun.
Etymology
From fraction + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Domains
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/fractional