Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
partial
par′tial
(pär′shal)
, Adj.
[F., fr. LL. ]
partials
, fr. L. pars
, gen. partis
, a part; cf. (for sense 1) F. partiel
. See Part
, Noun.
1.
Of, pertaining to, or affecting, a part only; not general or universal; not total or entire;
“Partial dissolutions of the earth.” as, a
. partial
eclipse of the moonT. Burnet.
2.
Inclined to favor one party in a cause, or one side of a question, more then the other; biased; not indifferent;
as, a judge should not be
. partial
Ye have been
partial
in the law. Mal. ii. 9.
3.
Having a predilection for; inclined to favor unreasonably; foolishly fond.
“A partial parent.” Pope.
Not
partial
to an ostentatious display. Sir W. Scott.
4.
(Bot.)
Pertaining to a subordinate portion;
as, a compound umbel is made up of a several
partial
umbels; a leaflet is often supported by a partial
petiole.Partial differentials
, Partial differential coefficients
, Partial differentiation
etc. (of a function of two or more variables), the differentials, differential coefficients, differentiation etc., of the function, upon the hypothesis that some of the variables are for the time constant.
– Partial fractions
(Alg.)
, fractions whose sum equals a given fraction.
– Partial tones
(Music)
, the simple tones which in combination form an ordinary tone; the overtones, or harmonics, which, blending with a fundamental tone, cause its special quality of sound, or timbre, or tone color. See, also,
Tone
.Webster 1828 Edition
Partial
P`ARTIAL
,Adj.
1.
Biased to one party; inclined to favor one party in a cause, or one side of a question, more than the other; not indifferent. It is important to justice that a judge should not be partial. Self-love will make men partial to themselves and friends.
2.
Inclined to favor without reason. Authors are partial to their wit, and critics to their judgment.3.
Affecting a part only; not general or universal; not total. It has been much disputed whether the deluge was partial or total. All partial evil, universal good.
4.
More strongly inclined to one thing than to others. [Colloquial.]5.
In botany, subordinate; applied to subdivisions; as a partial umbel or umbellicle; a partial peduncle. A partial involucre is placed at the foot of a partial umbel.