fraction
188
3.4
- noun
- /ˈfrækʃən/
- This is just a small fraction of what we study.
- only a fraction
- small fraction
- tiny fraction
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Watch on YouTubeWell, always pennies or fractions of pennies per view.
- Well, always pennies or fractions of pennies per view.
- I'm only going to cover a fraction of it before I start.
- So first of all, some fraction of genes are indeed essential.
- They're very hard to prevent and they account for a small fraction of overall gun deaths.
- I think it's going to be a small fraction of Apple Watch buyers.
- And that's just one that, I mean, that's just one tiny fraction of what she does.
- What you see is a fraction of light through.
- And I told her some fraction of what the number was.
- I think we'll add a fraction more here.
- This is Sarah Jessica Parker and this is a fraction of my life and looks.
Examples
-
Of the millions of living species, only a small fraction currently have direct economic importance.
Academic text (1990) -
I wish I had a fraction of her strength.
-
This is just a small fraction of what we study.
-
You should give whatever fraction seems right to you.
-
My students work themselves into the ground every day... just to get even a fraction closer to their goals.
-
It's just a small fraction of what's going on.
-
"When things are repeated," he reasons, "they lose a fraction of their meaning."
Academic text (2017) -
When things are repeated, they lose a fraction of their meaning.
Academic text (2017) -
Humans have shared the oceans with these animals for a mere fraction of their 450-million-year existence.
-
Even if it's only affecting a very small fraction of the population, it is real.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A part broken or cut from something larger, like a bit of fruit
516
3.0
A part of something that is separate from the whole, like a piece of an orange
501
2.1
A part of something that belongs to one person or group
204
3.2
A small piece broken off something larger
109
3.5
A part of a whole often shown as a fraction or ratio
Compounds
- Specialized
1
3.4
A number that shows a part of a whole with whole numbers on top and bottom, like 3/4
- Specialized
1
9.2
A way to write a number as an integer plus one divided by another number repeated many times
- Specialized
1
3.0
A number that shows parts of a whole and uses a point with digits after it
- Specialized
1
3.7
A fraction with a top number equal to or larger than the bottom number
- Specialized
1
2.3
A number written with two whole numbers separated by a line to show part of a whole, like 3/4
How Much
Surface Forms
Morphology
fraction = fract + ion
Although the sense 'a small part' relates to the notion of 'breaking into parts', the morphemes are not productive standalone English words, so learners are unlikely to derive the meaning from the parts alone.
Etymology
Fraction comes from the Latin root fract meaning 'to break', the same root as fragment and fracture, so a fraction is a small 'broken' part or piece of a whole.