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fragmentized

[ frag-muhn-tahyzd ]

adjective



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Word History and Origins

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More About Fragmentized

What does fragmentized mean?

Fragmentized is an adjective that describes things that have been reduced or divided into fragments—pieces that have been broken off of or detached from the whole.

The adjective fragmented means the same thing and is more commonly used.

Fragment most commonly refers to a part that has broken off rather than one that has been separated gently or intentionally, like fragments of a broken vase or a broken bone. Such things can be described as fragmentized.

As a verb, fragment can mean to break into pieces or disintegrate, as in The empire fragmented into multiple states after the emperor’s death. Such an empire could be described as fragmentized. The adjective sense of fragmentized comes from the past tense of the verb fragmentize, which can mean the same thing as the verb sense of fragment.

Fragmentized is perhaps most often applied to abstract or intangible things like this, in which case it usually means disorganized or disunified in some way. For example, a fragmentized society is one in which there is an extreme lack of unity among different groups. This sense of the word often implies that the thing described as fragmentized is broken or unhealthy in some way.

The related adjective fragmentary means something different: consisting of or reduced to fragments—disconnected or incomplete, as in fragmentary evidence. 

Example: My attention becomes fragmentized when I’m working on too many projects.

Where does fragmentized come from?

The first records of the verb fragmentize come from around the early 1800s, and the adjective sense followed not long after. It ultimately comes from the Latin fragmentum, meaning “a broken piece,” from the verb frangere, meaning “to break.” The word fragile also comes from frangere.

When something is fragmentized, it’s not entirely whole or organized. When the thing is a physical object, it’s probably broken into pieces. When it’s something intangible, it’s probably disorganized or lacking unity in some way.

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What are some other forms related to fragmentized?

What are some synonyms for fragmentized?

What are some words that share a root or word element with fragmentized

What are some words that often get used in discussing fragmentized?

How is fragmentized used in real life?

When fragmentized is used to describe things as disorganized or lacking unity, this is usually meant in a negative way. The word fragmented is more commonly used to mean the same thing.

 

 

Try using fragmentized!

Which of the following words is a synonym of fragmentized?

A. disunified
B. divided
C. splintered
D. all of the above

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fragmentizeFragonard