fractional

American  

[frak-shuh-nl] / ˈfræk ʃə nl /

Also fractionary

adjective

1. pertaining to fractions; comprising a part or the parts of a unit; constituting a fraction.

   fractional numbers.

2. comparatively small; inconsiderable or insignificant.

   The profit on the deal was fractional.

3. 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.

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ˈfractional British  

/ ˈfrækʃənərI, ˈfrækʃənəl /

adjective

1. relating to, containing, or constituting one or more fractions

2. 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

3. very small or insignificant

4. broken up; fragmented

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Other Word Forms

• fractionally adverb
• subfractional adjective
• subfractionally adverb
• subfractionary adjective

Etymology

Origin of fractional

First recorded in 1665–75; fraction + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Tokenization also makes expensive blue-chip stocks accessible through fractional ownership, allowing anyone to buy a small digital slice of a company for just a few dollars.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

Trading is available 24 hours a day on weekdays, and investors can buy fractional shares for as little as $1.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Nobody who bought Standard Oil stock could explain fractional distillation either.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 28, 2025

"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

When all the votes—including fractional votes—had been tallied, the resolution had failed, 58.25 to 55.75.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown