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.
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
Shares of CrowdStrike Holdings gave back most of their gains on Tuesday and ended the session with a fractional gain.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 10, 2026
The latest reading indicated a fractional expansion of the Chinese manufacturing sector, according to RatingDog, marking a fourth improvement in sector conditions over the past five months.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 31, 2025
Patients with asthma showed a median 56% reduction in fractional exhaled nitric oxide, indicating reduced airway inflammation.
From Barron's • Dec. 8, 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.
