fragmentary
Broken into pieces
Fragmentary describes something composed of fragments—incomplete, broken into pieces, or existing only in parts.
Fragmentary evidence or fragmentary remains suggest we have only portions of a whole: The fragmentary manuscript left scholars guessing at the missing sections.
The word often implies that what survives is insufficient to form a complete picture.
Not yet complete
- partialFavoring one side
- incompleteLacking necessary parts
- sketchyIncomplete or suspicious
- rudimentaryIn simplest possible form
inchoate · undeveloped · embryonic · nascent · unformed · rough · crude · primitive
Decayed structural remains
- remainsContinues in place
- relicsPreserved items from antiquity
- vestigesRemaining traces of something
- tracesSlight remaining amounts
remnants · archaeological · artifacts · inscriptions · papyri · scrolls · manuscripts · fossils
Broken fragments of brittle material
- bitsSmall portions or pieces
- piecesParts of something divided
- scrapsSmall remaining pieces
- remnantsWhat stays after most goes
splinters · chips · flakes · slivers · segments · portions · sections · parts
Selected passages from texts
- passagesSegments or thoroughfares
- snippetsShort extracted pieces
- quotationsRepeated words with attribution
- extractsRemoves or concentrated essences
clips · glimpses · vignettes · soundbites · tidbits · samples · snatches · phrases
Assembled mixed-media artwork
- montageAssembled sequence of images
- patchworkFabric scraps sewn together
- assemblageCollected group of things
- compositeMade of distinct parts
mosaic · pastiche · hodgepodge · medley · potpourri · miscellany · jigsaw · amalgam
unfinished
Not yet complete
- partialFavoring one side
- incompleteLacking necessary parts
- sketchyIncomplete or suspicious
rudimentary · inchoate · undeveloped · embryonic · nascent · unformed · rough · crude · primitive · gappy
ruins
Decayed structural remains
traces · remnants · archaeological · artifacts · inscriptions · papyri · scrolls · manuscripts · fossils · shards
shards
Broken fragments of brittle material
remnants · splinters · chips · flakes · slivers · segments · portions · sections · parts · fractions
excerpts
Selected passages from texts
- passagesSegments or thoroughfares
- snippetsShort extracted pieces
- quotationsRepeated words with attribution
extracts · clips · glimpses · vignettes · soundbites · tidbits · samples · snatches · phrases · lines
collage
Assembled mixed-media artwork
- montageAssembled sequence of images
- patchworkFabric scraps sewn together
- assemblageCollected group of things
composite · mosaic · pastiche · hodgepodge · medley · potpourri · miscellany · jigsaw · amalgam · bricolage
- incompleteincomplete, unfinished, partial, half-done, halfway
- fullnessfull, empty, half-full, filled, half-empty
- scarcityscarcity, scarce, shortage, scant, scanty
- progressprogress, in progress, promotion, raise, making progress
- bone traitsdense, brittle, porous, hollow, thick
fragmentarycomplete
Lacking nothing, fully done
whole · entire · full · total · comprehensive
fragmentaryintact
Not damaged or altered
whole · unbroken · undamaged · unimpaired · in one piece
fragmentarycontinuous
Without pause or gap
coherent · unified · integrated · connected · systematic
- fragmentation grenadeExplosive that scatters shrapnel
- fragmentation bombExplosive designed to scatter shrapnel
- habitat fragmentationBreaking continuous environments into isolated patches