What does "fraction" mean?
A part of a whole, especially a comparatively small part.
Fraction
/ˈfɹæk.ʃən/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A part of a whole, especially a comparatively small part.
- Grammar: fraction is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: adjunct, agnus dei, algebraic number, alleluia.
- Useful contrasts: integer value, total amount, whole number.
- Usage evidence: He did it in only a fraction of a second.
How to use "fraction"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "fraction" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "fraction" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "fraction" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "fraction" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "fraction" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "adjunct" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "fraction", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A part of a whole, especially a comparatively small part.
"With fresh material, taxonomic conclusions are leavened by recognition that the material examined reflects the site it occupied; a herbarium packet gives one only a small fraction of the data desirable for sound conclusions. Herbarium material does not, indeed, allow one to extrapolate safely: what you see is what you get[…]"
- 2 a small part or item forming a piece of a whole wordnet
- 3 A ratio of two numbers (numerator and denominator), usually written one above the other and separated by a horizontal bar called the vinculum or, alternatively, in sequence on the same line and separated by a solidus (diagonal bar).
"Gasoline prices show the mill as a fraction, for example $3.59+⁹⁄₁₀."
- 4 the quotient of two rational numbers wordnet
- 5 A component of a mixture, separated by fractionation.
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 a component of a mixture that has been separated by a fractional process wordnet
- 7 In a eucharistic service, the breaking of the host.
"[…] The bread, when it is consecrated and made sacramental, is the body of our Lord; and the fraction and distribution of it is the communication of that body, which died for us upon the cross."
- 8 A small amount.
"I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long business trip to Chicago, and on my return […] I found Farrar awaiting me in the railway station. He smiled his wonted fraction by way of greeting, […], and finally leading me to his buggy, turned and drove out of town."
- 9 The act of breaking, or state of being broken, especially by violence. archaic
"Neither can the natural body of Christ be subject to any fraction or breaking."
Verb
- 1 To divide or break into fractions. transitive
- 2 perform a division wordnet
- 3 To fractionate. transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
integer valuetotal amountwhole numberall of
Example
"He did it in only a fraction of a second."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "fraction"?
Common synonyms include: adjunct, agnus dei, algebraic number, alleluia, aqueous part, arithmetical proportion.
How do you use "fraction" in a sentence?
He did it in only a fraction of a second.
How do you pronounce "fraction"?
Pronounced /ˈfɹæk.ʃən/.
Etymology
Etymology tree Middle English fraccioun English fraction From Middle English fraccioun (“a breaking”), from Anglo-Norman, Old French fraccion, from Medieval Latin fractio (“a fragment, portion”), from earlier Latin fractio (“a breaking, a breaking into pieces”), from fractus, past participle of frangere (“to break”) (whence English frangible), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (English break). Doublet of frazione.