# partial

/ˈpɑɹʃəɫ/ (US) · /pˈɑːʃəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/partial
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. incomplete

adjective · CEFR B2

not complete or whole; only a part of something.

For teachers: existing only as a part or portion; not total or exhaustive.

- The police only have a partial description of the car used in the robbery.
- The researchers were forced to publish a partial report because the final data set had not yet been fully verified by the laboratory.

### 2. biased

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

showing unfair support for one person or side in a disagreement.

For teachers: biased in favour of one person, side, or point of view, especially in a formal dispute.

- The judge was accused of being partial to the defendant because they were old friends.
- A truly fair referee must remain entirely neutral, as even a slightly partial decision can undermine the integrity of the entire competition.

### 3. liking something

adjective · CEFR B2

having a strong liking for something or someone.

For teachers: having a predilection or strong preference for something; typically follows the verb 'to be'.

- I must admit I am very partial to a piece of chocolate cake after dinner.
- He has always been particularly partial to nineteenth-century French poetry, often spending his weekends browsing old bookstores for rare editions.

Usage: Usually used with the preposition 'to'.

### 4. sound/acoustics

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

one of the simple sounds that make up a complex musical note.

For teachers: any of the individual sine waves which combine to form a complex tone, including harmonics and overtones.

- The unique sound of a bell comes from the way its different partials ring out.
- By manipulating the upper partials of the synthesizer's waveform, the composer created a metallic timbre that mimicked industrial machinery.

### 5. dentistry

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a set of false teeth that replaces only some of your natural teeth.

For teachers: a removable dental appliance or denture that replaces only a portion of the natural dentition.

- After the accident, he had to wear a partial to replace his two missing front teeth.
- The dentist recommended a partial rather than a full set of dentures to preserve the health of the remaining natural teeth.

### 6. mathematics

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a type of calculation used to find how one part of a complex system changes.

For teachers: a partial derivative; the derivative of a multivariable function with respect to one variable while others are held constant.

- To solve the physics problem, we first had to calculate the partial with respect to time.
- The student struggled to compute the second-order partials required to determine the local extrema of the three-dimensional surface.

## Examples

- The company gave a partial refund for the broken item.
- The witness provided only a partial account of the accident because she arrived after the initial collision.
- While the treaty represented a partial victory for the environmental group, many activists felt it failed to address the core systemic issues driving the crisis.

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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.