Existing only in part; incomplete or fragmentary. Can also mean showing favoritism or bias toward one side over others.
From Latin 'partialis' from 'pars, partis' (part). The word developed two distinct meanings: the mathematical/physical sense of 'incomplete' and the social sense of 'biased', both stemming from the idea of representing only part of the whole.
A partial solar eclipse and partial custody both involve the same concept - only part of something is covered or included! The bias meaning comes from the idea that you're only seeing part of the story, like a partial witness who only saw half the accident.
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