# parted

/ˈpɑɹtɪd/ (US) · /pˈɑːtɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/parted
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. separated or open

adjective · CEFR B2

separated or moved away from each other, like hair or lips.

For teachers: separated or held slightly open; frequently used to describe the position of lips or hair that has been combed in different directions.

- She stood there with her lips slightly parted in surprise.
- The photograph captured him with his lips slightly parted as if he were about to speak, lending the portrait a sense of immediate life.

### 2. deeply divided

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

divided into sections that go almost to the center.

For teachers: cleft or divided into distinct sections, where the divisions reach more than halfway to the midrib or base.

- The plant is easy to identify because of its deeply parted leaves.
- The specimen is characterized by its palmately parted leaves, which distinguish it from other closely related species in the same genus.

### 3. having specific parts

adjective · CEFR C2 · Formal

used with a number to show how many sections something has.

For teachers: occurring in compounds to indicate a specific number of divisions or components.

- The play was a three-parted story about a family moving to a new city.
- The treaty was a many-parted agreement that addressed trade, border security, and environmental protections simultaneously.

## Examples

- He looked at me with parted lips, ready to speak.
- The curtains were slightly parted, allowing a thin beam of sunlight to hit the floor.
- The crowd parted to let the ambulance through, creating a narrow path through the sea of people.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.