English Reference
Adverb

partly

adv. degree
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US /ˈpɑɹtɫi/ UK /pˈɑːtli/ part·ly

adv.to some degree, but not completely. You use this when you want to say that something is only a small piece of the whole story.

adv.to a limited extent or degree; in part. Often used to introduce one of several contributing factors or reasons.


SIMPLE

The roof is partly made of glass.

CONTEXTUAL

The project failed partly because of poor planning and partly due to a lack of funding.

COMPLEX

The success of the urban renewal initiative can be attributed partly to increased private investment and partly to the grassroots efforts of local community leaders.

Usage

Typically placed before the adjective or verb it modifies, or used in the construction 'partly... partly...' to list multiple causes.

Pitfall
The house is part made of woodThe house is partly made of wood

Learners often use the noun or adjective 'part' instead of the adverb 'partly' to modify a verb or adjective.

Usage partly account · partly base · partly depend

At the moment, since that last hysteroscopy, every medical appointment makes me cry and panic.” Harris is taking this route partly so that she will never need another one.

The Guardian· 16 Aug 2026

This is partly because it doesn’t have its own blood supply .

ScienceDaily· 16 Aug 2026

Common in health and history writing


From part + -ly.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated