partly
Americanadverb
adverb
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
Etymology
Origin of partly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Partly raised in Nebraska, Willa Cather emerged as the great artist of hardscrabble prairie life.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026
"Partly because my name is Cindy," Xiang said.
From Science Daily • Jun. 19, 2026
Partly due to its proximity to the entertainment industry, North Hollywood High has produced a host of famous artists over the decades, including the late Michael Tilson Thomas, who attended in the early 1960s.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
Partly, that is because management has done some decently good things—not as good as they say they have, but objectively, they have done some decently good things.
From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026
Partly because it took generations for the small changes to accumulate and transform society and, by then, nobody remembered that they had ever lived differently.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
