partially
Americanadverb
-
to some degree or in some way or aspect, but not fully or totally; incompletely.
Season three of the sci-fi series would have taken place either partially or completely on Mars.
-
in a way that is biased or prejudiced in favor of one group, side, person, etc., over another.
He did not judge partially, he said, but claimed to mete out justice equally to rich and poor alike.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of partially
Explanation
Partially means part way, not complete. If you’ve partially completed a test when the bell rings, you better work faster to finish up next time! A part is a portion of something, not the whole thing. Similarly, the word partially refers to a part of something only. A partially brick house is not all brick. Anything that is partially true is only true to some degree, like if you tell someone you’re in a band, but really you just carry the guitars. This word means about the same as partly, and the opposite word would be wholly or entirely.
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.
That’s partially because, with “Confessions II,” Madonna isn’t playing a character.
From Salon • Jul. 8, 2026
In the darkness, partially kneeling, gasping for air and practically immobile, he suffered aftershock after aftershock.
From Barron's • Jul. 5, 2026
Spent firecrackers scatter residue that contains partially burned fuel, metal salts, additives, and pieces of charred packaging.
From Science Daily • Jul. 4, 2026
The funeral in Tehran will last for three days, with the airspace over the capital partially closed, before the body is moved to the holy city of Qom on Tuesday.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 3, 2026
Once it was simmering, I partially covered the pot and got to work on the crumble.
From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks
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.
