fragmentary

/ˈfræɡ.mən.tɛr.i/
adjectiveIntermediate💡 incomplete or consisting of separate parts
general

consisting of or made up of separate pieces or parts

The museum's collection includes fragmentary artifacts from ancient civilizations.

The museum has incomplete or partial artifacts from ancient civilizations.

💡

Often used to describe information, evidence, or objects that are incomplete or broken into parts.

general

incomplete or lacking coherence

His fragmentary notes made it difficult to follow his train of thought.

His incomplete and disjointed notes were hard to understand.

💡

Can describe thoughts, memories, or ideas that are not fully formed or connected.

Collocations

fragmentary evidenceincomplete or partial evidencefragmentary notesincomplete or disjointed notesfragmentary memoriesincomplete or partial memories

💡Pro Tip

Usage Tip

Use 'fragmentary' to describe something that is incomplete or consists of separate parts, whether physical or abstract.

📖Word Origin

From Latin 'fragmentum' (a broken piece) + '-ary' (suffix denoting belonging to or having the nature of).

📝Usage Notes

Often used in contexts where something is incomplete, broken, or lacks coherence. Can describe physical objects, information, or abstract concepts.

Word Breakdown

frag-
break
root
+
-ment
result of an action
suffix
+
-ary
relating to or having the nature of
suffix
English Dictionary