partly

[ pahrt-lee ]

adverb

1. in part; to some extent or degree; not wholly; partially:

   His statement is partly true.

partly

/ ˈpɑːtlɪ /

adverb

1. to some extent; not completely

Usage

Partly and partially are to some extent interchangeable, but partly should be used when referring to a part or parts of something: the building is partly (not partially ) of stone, while partially is preferred for the meaning to some extent: his mother is partially (not partly ) sighted

Word History and Origins

Origin of partly¹

First recorded in 1515–25; part + -ly

Example Sentences

The discrepancy is partly due to many unemployed Americans being misclassified as employed, Powell said during a virtual speech at the Economic Club of New York.

From Washington Post

The answer lies partly in the science of concussions and partly in helmet testing and certification.

From Outside Online

Thousands of years later, it turned out Aristotle was partly wrong there as well.

From Quanta Magazine

Friday night looks partly to mostly cloudy and cold with lows in the 20s.

From Washington Post

For the rest of the day, we should have partly cloudy skies and highs in the mid-40s to lower 50s.

From Washington Post

DuVernay has partly succeeded in presenting a more human King, warts and all.

From The Daily Beast

That is partly because it can be said that this is the book that saved Christmas.

From The Daily Beast

On Sunday morning, the meeting continued in his house, partly a debating forum, partly a steering committee.

From The Daily Beast

Whitaker also had Obama partly to thank for his job with the DPH.

From The Daily Beast

Granted, partly this is a problem of sources the author identifies in the introduction.

From The Daily Beast

Sometimes the stems are quite bare; on other occasions they are partly branched; in any case the branches are short.

From Project Gutenberg

The churchyard was partly surrounded by houses, and in 1781 "iron pallisadoes" were affixed to the wall.

From Project Gutenberg

A few years back it was partly turned into a depot for American meat, but is now simply used for warehouses.

From Project Gutenberg

This intimacy arose partly from association while fishing for Cod, which abound in these waters, and partly from trading in furs.

From Project Gutenberg

A great shout—partly, no doubt, of disappointment—was given when the lions escaped.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• at least
• partially
• slightly
• somewhat