Partial means incomplete or only affecting part of something rather than the whole thing. A partial eclipse of the sun blocks only some of the sunlight, leaving a bright crescent still visible. When you give a partial answer on a test, you've explained part of what's needed but left out important pieces.

The word carries a sense that something is missing. If your internet connection has a partial outage, some websites work while others don't. If you make a partial payment on something you owe, you've paid some but not all of it. A partial recovery from an injury means you're better than before but not completely healed.

Partial also means showing unfair favoritism toward someone or something. A referee who is partial to one team makes biased calls that help that team win. Teachers work hard not to be partial to their favorite students because everyone deserves fair treatment. When someone says “I'm rather partial to chocolate ice cream,” they're using the word more lightly, simply meaning they have a strong preference for it.

The opposite of partial is complete or whole (for “not finished”), or impartial (meaning fair and unbiased). Understanding what's partial helps you see what's missing or what might need closer examination.