Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

fractionation

American  
[frak-shuh-ney-shuhn] / ˌfræk ʃəˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. the act or process of fractionating.

  2. the state of being fractionated.

  3. Military. the division of a missile's payload into several warheads.


fractionation Scientific  
/ frăk′shə-nāshən /
  1. The separation of a chemical compound into components by fractional crystallization or fractional distillation.


Etymology

Origin of fractionation

First recorded in 1925–30; fractionate + -ion

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.

See Examples For:

That value is considerably lower than measurements from all previously studied near-side samples, but it closely matches the theoretical composition expected after strong solar wind fractionation.

From Science Daily Jul. 21, 2026

Keyera’s planned takeover, unveiled in June of last year, would establish a natural-gas-liquids corridor in Canada for the company, with assets that include extraction, fractionation and storage operations, as well as rail and truck terminals.

From The Wall Street Journal May 5, 2026

“As a result, that kind of fractionation really doesn’t help you understand either the level of investment very directly, or the impact,” Wayburn said.

From Los Angeles Times Jan. 11, 2024

During the quarter, the company saw operational records for natural gas pipeline volumes and natural gas liquids fractionation volumes.

From Reuters Aug. 1, 2023

The big varieties came first, the little ones arose later by fractionation, although now the devotees of continuity could arrange them in a graduated series from white to deep purple.

From Hormones and Heredity by J. T. Cunningham

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training