fractional
Americanadjective
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pertaining to fractions; comprising a part or the parts of a unit; constituting a fraction.
fractional numbers.
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comparatively small; inconsiderable or insignificant.
The profit on the deal was fractional.
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Chemistry. of or noting a process, as distillation, crystallization, or oxidation, by which the component substances of a mixture are separated according to differences in certain of their properties, as boiling point, critical temperature, or solubility.
adjective
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relating to, containing, or constituting one or more fractions
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of or denoting a process in which components of a mixture are separated by exploiting differences in their physical properties, such as boiling points, solubility, etc
fractional distillation
fractional crystallization
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very small or insignificant
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broken up; fragmented
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fractional
Vocabulary lists containing fractional
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.
Shareholders who would be entitled to receive fractional shares will instead receive a cash payment from the company’s transfer agent, Computershare Trust Company.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
Jet fuel is essentially a highly refined form of kerosene with specialised additives, and is usually produced from fractional distillation of crude oil.
From BBC • May 3, 2026
"This new discovery of fractional electron distribution establishes an entirely new scientific foundation for understanding catalysts that we believe will drive new energy technologies over the next several decades."
From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2025
The merits of stock splits are debatable now that fractional trading has become commonplace.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 31, 2025
When the sun reached its zenith and stood still the fractional moment, Nat took his reading.
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
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.
