What does fragmentarily mean?
Fragmentarily is a formal adverb meaning 'in a fragmentary manner' — that is, in a way marked by incompleteness, disconnection, or scattered pieces rather than by any coherent whole. It typically describes how evidence, texts, memories, or records survive or are transmitted: a manuscript may survive fragmentarily, or knowledge of an event may reach us fragmentarily through secondhand accounts. The word derives from 'fragmentary', an adjective rooted in the Latin fragmentum, meaning a broken piece, which itself traces back to frangere, 'to break'. Although logically formed and readily understood, fragmentarily is genuinely uncommon; most writers prefer phrases like 'only in fragments' or 'piecemeal' instead. When it does appear, it lends a precise, scholarly tone, making it useful where the adverbial form is genuinely needed to convey partial or discontinuous existence or occurrence.
adverbIn a fragmentary manner; in a way that consists of incomplete pieces or disconnected parts rather than a whole.
- In an incomplete or disconnected manner; existing or occurring only as scattered pieces rather than as a whole.
"The manuscript survived only fragmentarily, with entire chapters lost to decay."
"The ancient text survives only fragmentarily, preserved in quotations by later authors."
"Her memories of the accident returned fragmentarily, over days and weeks."
Like its cousins 'temporarily' and 'momentarily', this word hides a stress surprise: the emphasis jumps to the third syllable, tripping up even seasoned readers.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fragmentarily
The word is formed from 'fragmentary' (an adjective first current in English around the early seventeenth century) combined with the adverbial suffix '-ly'. Its root, 'fragment', comes from the Latin fragmentum, 'a broken piece', derived from the verb frangere, 'to break'. English shares this lineage with words like 'fraction' and 'fracture', all descendants of the same Latin breaking-root.
How fragmentarily is actually used
This is a rare, formal word; writers far more often use 'in fragments', 'piecemeal', or simply describe something as 'fragmentary'. It belongs chiefly to scholarly and literary prose.
Easily confused with fragmentarily
Fragmentary is an adjective describing something made of fragments ('fragmentary evidence'), while fragmentarily is the rarer adverb describing how something happens or exists in such a manner.