fragmentary

adjective

frag·​men·​tary ˈfrag-mən-ˌter-ē How to pronounce fragmentary (audio)
Synonyms of fragmentary
: consisting of fragments : incomplete
fragmentary evidence
a fragmentary account
fragmentarily
ˌfrag-mən-ˈter-ə-lē How to pronounce fragmentary (audio)
adverb
fragmentariness
ˈfrag-mən-ˌter-ē-nəs How to pronounce fragmentary (audio)
noun

Synonyms of fragmentary

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the last three centuries, scholars have unearthed a few morsels—a description in an old poem of a similar tapestry; some rare Scandinavian textiles—that provide at least fragmentary context for the artifact’s existence. — John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026 Her massive concrete site-work, which takes up the entirety of the Geffen Galleries plaza, is peppered with fragmentary representations of the Mesoamerican deity Quetzalcoatl and the simulated footprints of Californian fauna. — George Baker, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026 The story is told in a fragmentary fashion, with short paragraphs that are separated by subheadings. — Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026 The Manchester musician’s preference for the fragmentary extends to his approach to genre. — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for fragmentary

Word History

Etymology

fragment entry 1 + -ary entry 2

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fragmentary was in 1611

Rhymes for fragmentary

See All Rhymes for fragmentary

Browse Nearby Words

fragmentarism
fragmentary
fragmentate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fragmentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fragmentary. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

fragmentary

adjective
frag·​men·​tary ˈfrag-mən-ˌter-ē How to pronounce fragmentary (audio)
: made up of fragments : incomplete
a fragmentary report
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gist

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All