Fractured
'fræktʃərd
Definitions
3 meaningsTo break or crack (something hard), typically a bone or other solid object.
'fræktʃər
To break or cause to break (a bone or other hard substance).
He fractured his wrist while playing basketball.
💡 Simply: Imagine you drop a plate and it breaks into pieces. That's similar to a fracture, but often it means a bone or something hard breaks.
👶 For kids: To break a bone or something hard, like a crayon in half!
More Examples
The earthquake fractured the pavement.
How It's Used
"The doctor said the patient fractured his leg in the accident."
"The earthquake fractured several walls of the building."
Having a break or crack; broken.
'fræktʃərd
Broken or cracked.
She had a fractured ankle after the fall.
💡 Simply: It's like describing something that already has a crack or a break in it. Like a fractured bone or a fractured friendship.
👶 For kids: When something is broken or cracked.
More Examples
The old vase had a fractured base.
How It's Used
"The X-ray revealed a fractured rib."
"The fractured relationship never fully recovered."
Divided or disjointed; no longer whole or unified.
'fræktʃərd
The fractured alliance soon fell apart due to disagreements.
💡 Simply: Imagine a friendship that is broken into little pieces. It can also describe a situation that is not smooth or continuous, like a fractured political system.
👶 For kids: When something that was together is now in pieces and not working well.
More Examples
The fractured narrative made it difficult to follow the story.
How It's Used
"The fractured political landscape made agreement difficult."
"Their fractured communication led to misunderstandings."
From the Latin word 'frangere' (to break), through the past participle 'fractus', meaning broken or shattered. It entered English around the 16th century.
The word 'fractured' has been used to describe physical breaks and, increasingly, metaphorical breaks in relationships or systems since the early 20th century.
Memory tip
Think of a bone snapping – a fracture!
Word Origin
"to break"