partiality

UK: /ˌpɑː^rʃiˈælɪti/

US: /pɑrʃiˈælɪti/

US: (pär′shē al′i tē, pär shal′-)

Inflections of 'partiality' (n): npl: partialities

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

par•ti•al•i•ty  (pär′shē al′i tē, pär shal′-), n., pl. -ties. 

1. the state or character of being partial.
2. a favorable bias or prejudice:
   the partiality of parents for their own children.
3. a special fondness, preference, or liking (usually fol. by to or for):
   a partiality for country living.

• Medieval Latin partiālitās. See partial, -ity
• late Middle English parcialite 1375–1425

Synonyms

• 2. favoritism.
• 3. leaning, inclination, bent, predilection.

Antonyms

• 3. dislike.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

partiality / ˌpɑːʃɪˈælɪtɪ/ noun ( -ties)

1. favourable prejudice or bias
2. (usually followed by for) liking or fondness
3. the state or condition of being partial

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

par•tial /ˈpɑrʃəl/   adj. 

1. being in part only; incomplete:
   partial payment.
2. biased or prejudiced in favor of one person, etc., over another:
   The judge was partial.
See impartial.

Idioms

3. Idioms partial to, [ be + ~] favoring;
   especially fond of:
   is partial to vanilla ice cream.

par•ti•al•i•ty /pɑrʃiˈælɪti/  n. 

[uncountable] showed partiality in hiring his friend's son for the position.

par•tial•ly, adv.: 

The sun was partially blocked by the clouds.

See -par-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

par•tial  (pär′shəl), adj. 

1. being such in part only;
   not total or general;
   incomplete:
   partial blindness; a partial payment of a debt.
2. biased or prejudiced in favor of a person, group, side, etc., over another, as in a controversy:
   a partial witness.
3. pertaining to or affecting a part.
4. being a part;
   component;
   constituent.
5. Botany secondary or subordinate:
   a partial umbel.
6. Idioms partial to, having a liking or preference for;
   particularly fond of:
   I'm partial to chocolate cake.

n. 

7. Games [Bridge.] part-score.
8. Music and Dance [Acoustics, Music.] See partial tone. 

• Late Latin partiālis pertaining to a part, equivalent. to Latin parti- (stem of pars) part + -ālis -al¹
• Middle French
• late Middle English parcial biased, particular 1375–1425

par′tial•ly, adv. 
par′tial•ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. unfinished, imperfect, limited.
• 2. one-sided, unfair, unjust.

Antonyms

• 1, 3. complete.
• 2. unbiased, fair.