fragmentary
adjective
frag·men·tary
ˈfrag-mən-ˌter-ē 
: consisting of fragments : incomplete
fragmentary evidence
a fragmentary account
Synonyms
Examples of fragmentary in a Sentence
discovering fragmentary remains of primitive animals
the historical record of this pharaoh's life and reign is fragmentary at best
Recent Examples on the Web
Ethiopians have welcomed Abiy’s promises to end the Meles regime’s sometimes heavy-handed repression of political rights, but the country is now wrestling with the fragmentary pressures of ethnic politics that Meles managed to contain.
—
Terrence Lyons, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2019
Advertisement Books Pedro Almodóvar’s first book, like his movies, blends reality and fiction: ‘A fragmentary autobiography’
Sept. 16, 2024
As Roberts describes in cringey detail in the book, his fall from grace came a little bit at a time, then all at once.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2024
But ultimately, this fragmentary evidence is not enough to determine if Ancient Macedonian and Hellenic split from a common, pre-Hellenic source or derived from distinct Indo-European proto-languages.
—Victor A. Friedman, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2018
Researchers have the genome of the girl, as well as bits of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA from fragmentary fossils—teeth, a toe bone—of seven additional individuals, all also from Denisova Cave.
—Byann Gibbons, science.org, 11 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for fragmentary 
Terrence Lyons, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2019
Advertisement Books Pedro Almodóvar’s first book, like his movies, blends reality and fiction: ‘A fragmentary autobiography’
Sept. 16, 2024
As Roberts describes in cringey detail in the book, his fall from grace came a little bit at a time, then all at once.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2024
But ultimately, this fragmentary evidence is not enough to determine if Ancient Macedonian and Hellenic split from a common, pre-Hellenic source or derived from distinct Indo-European proto-languages.
—Victor A. Friedman, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2018
Researchers have the genome of the girl, as well as bits of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA from fragmentary fossils—teeth, a toe bone—of seven additional individuals, all also from Denisova Cave.
—Byann Gibbons, science.org, 11 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for fragmentary
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fragmentary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near fragmentary
Cite this Entry
“Fragmentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fragmentary. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fragmentary
adjective
frag·men·tary
ˈfrag-mən-ˌter-ē
: made up of fragments : incomplete
a fragmentary report
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share