partial
gb/pˈɑɹʃəl/ us/pˈɑɹʃəl/
B1
English
~ 4700
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
Not complete or finished
Not complete; only part of something.
Usage pattern:
[something] is partial
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'partial' with 'particular'. 'Partial' means incomplete; 'particular' means specific.
Synonyms
incomplete (A direct synonym, but 'incomplete' is more formal and neutral in tone.)
Antonyms
complete (Indicates that something is whole or finished, opposite of 'partial' in this sense.)
Collocations
partial payment
|partial list
|partial solution
|partial success
Themes
descriptions
|measurement
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We only had partial information about the event.
- The building suffered partial damage in the fire.
- She made a partial recovery after the operation.
- The teacher gave us a partial list of reading materials.
Learner examples
- I have a partial answer to your question.
- The road is open, but there is partial damage.
- We saw a partial view of the city from the hill.
- He gave me a partial payment for the work.
adjective
B2
property
2
Having a bias or preference
Liking one person or thing more than others in a way that is not fair.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is partial to [something/someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'partial to' (meaning having a liking for) with 'partial' meaning incomplete; context determines meaning.
Synonyms
biased ('Biased' is more common in formal contexts, especially when discussing fairness.)
Antonyms
impartial (Means fair and not showing favoritism.)
Collocations
partial judge
|partial decision
|partial opinion
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The referee was accused of being partial to the home team.
- It's hard to get a fair decision from someone who is partial.
- Her review was clearly partial and ignored the negative aspects.
Learner examples
- The teacher was partial to the boys in class.
- He is partial to his own ideas.
- The judge must not be partial.
adjective
B1
property
3
Fond of something
Liking something very much.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is partial to [something]
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'partial to' with 'partially', which means 'a little' or 'in part'. They are different.
Synonyms
fond of ('Fond of' is slightly warmer and more emotional in tone.)
Antonyms
dislike (Means not enjoying or not having a taste for something.)
Collocations
partial to sweets
|partial to jazz
|partial to spicy food
Themes
emotions
|preferences
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I'm quite partial to dark chocolate.
- She’s partial to old romantic movies.
- He's always been partial to Italian cuisine.
Learner examples
- I am partial to ice cream.
- He is partial to pizza.
- She is partial to long walks.
Grammar
Dictionary form
partial
IPA
GB/pˈɑɹʃəl/
US/pˈɑɹʃəl/
Syllables & stress
par - tial (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (par)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: partial
Word family
Expressions
partial to
1/pˈɑɹʃəl tə/
fixed phrase
Having a liking for something
To like something or someone more than others.
Examples
- I'm partial to vanilla ice cream over chocolate.
- He's always been partial to classic rock music.