1. Incomplete or not whole: This is the most common meaning. It means something is only a part of something larger.
* Example: "I only ate a partial pizza."
* Example: "They only have partial information about the situation."
2. Favorable or biased towards something: This meaning implies a preference or inclination towards a particular person, thing, or idea.
* Example: "He's partial to chocolate cake."
* Example: "The judge was partial to the defendant's side."
3. Relating to a part: This meaning simply indicates that something is related to a specific part of something else.
* Example: "Partial pressure refers to the pressure of a specific gas in a mixture."
* Example: "The partial derivative of a function."
It's important to pay attention to the context to understand the specific meaning of "partial" in a given sentence.