partly
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Explore the roots, pronunciation, meanings, and usage of partly.
Word parts & etymology
- parta piece, share, or portion of a whole; from Old French part and ultimately Latin pars or partem
- -lya common adverb-forming suffix meaning in a particular way or manner; from Old English -lice
Part + -ly means “in part” or “not completely”; partly was formed in English in the early sixteenth century from part, ultimately from Latin pars or partem, and the Germanic adverb suffix -ly.
Same-root words
- part
- a piece or portion of a whole
- partialpartial
- incomplete or affecting only a portion; related to the Latin root for part
- partiallypartially
- incompletely or to a limited degree
- partitionpartition
- a division into separate parts, historically from Latin through French
- counterpartcounterpart
- a person or thing with a corresponding role in another place or group
- Meaning 1B1adverb
to some degree or in some parts, but not completely
Phonetic symbols
/ˈpɑːrtli/
/ˈpɑːtli/
Pronunciation notes
- Stress the first syllable: PART-ly.
- The word has two syllables, and the final letters -ly are pronounced /li/.
- The r is pronounced in standard US English but is normally silent in standard southern British English.
- Pronounce the /t/ and /l/ close together without adding an extra vowel between them.
YouGlish
Common collocations
Reusable word combinations for speaking and writing.
- partly becauseMeaning 1
used before a clause to introduce one of several reasons
She accepted the job partly because it offered flexible hours.
- partly due toMeaning 1
caused to some degree by something
The delay was partly due to bad weather.
- partly responsible forMeaning 1
sharing some responsibility for something
Poor planning was partly responsible for the failure.
- partly trueMeaning 1
correct in some respects but not completely
His description of the problem was only partly true.
- partly cloudyMeaning 1
having both clouds and clear areas
Tomorrow will be partly cloudy with light winds.
- partly based onMeaning 1
using something as one, but not the only, source or foundation
The film is partly based on a true story.
Grammar patterns
Common frames that show how the word fits into a sentence.
be + partly + adjective or past participleMeaning 1partly limits the degree of a condition or action
The entrance was partly hidden by trees.
partly because + clauseMeaning 1introduces one of several reasons followed by a subject and verb
Sales increased partly because prices had fallen.
partly due to + noun phraseMeaning 1introduces something that is one cause of a situation
The improvement was partly due to better training.
partly ... and partly ...Meaning 1presents two different components, reasons, or descriptions
Her decision was partly practical and partly emotional.
Examples
- Meaning 1B1to some degree or in some parts, but not completely
The road was partly blocked by snow.
Snow blocked some of the road, but not all of it.
- Meaning 1B1to some degree or in some parts, but not completely
I agreed partly because the plan was inexpensive.
The low cost was one reason for agreeing, but it was not the only reason.
Usage notes
- Partly is neutral in register and common in both speech and writing.
- It is especially natural when describing one of several causes, components, or influences.
- Partly normally appears immediately before the word or phrase whose meaning it limits.
- Only partly emphasizes that something is clearly incomplete.
Word family6 items
- partnoun or verb
- a piece of a whole, or to separate or leave someone
- partialadjective
- incomplete, limited, or affecting only part of something
- partiallyadverb
- incompletely or to a limited extent
- partitionnoun or verb
- a division, or to divide something into sections
- counterpartnoun
- a person or thing with a similar role elsewhere
- participantnoun
- a person who takes part in an activity
Common mistakes
The building is partial made of wood.
The building is partly made of wood.
Use the adverb partly, not the adjective partial, to modify made.
We canceled the trip partly of the rain.
We canceled the trip partly because of the rain.
Use partly because of before a noun phrase that gives a reason.
It happened partly because of the road was closed.
It happened partly because the road was closed.
Use because before a clause, but because of before a noun phrase.
Confusing words
- partially
- often interchangeable with partly, but partly is especially natural for one of several causes or components, while partially often emphasizes an incomplete condition
- part
- can mean partly in compact expressions such as part human and part machine, but partly is the general-purpose adverb
- somewhat
- means to a limited degree and commonly modifies qualities, while partly can also refer to a physical portion or one cause among several
- mostly
- means mainly or for the greatest part, so it usually indicates a larger proportion than partly
- hardly
- means almost not, while partly means to some extent but not completely
30-second recall3 questions
Try to answer from memory before revealing each answer.
0 of 3 answers revealed
Recall the meaning
partly
Answeradverb · to some degree or in some parts, but not completely
Recall the collocation
used before a clause to introduce one of several reasons
Answerpartly because
She accepted the job partly because it offered flexible hours.
Correct the sentence
The building is partial made of wood.
AnswerThe building is partly made of wood.
Use the adverb partly, not the adjective partial, to modify made.