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Language Foundation

partial success

A state in which an operation or request succeeds for some of the items or parts involved but fails for others.

In plain English

This means the result is mixed rather than all-or-nothing. One operation or request covers multiple items or parts, and only some of them succeed. The others fail.

In context

Here, it reports that the items being handled had a mixed result, with some succeeding and others not.

Situation
Reading processing, queue, validation, success, warning, and error messages
What it communicates
reports that some items finished successfully and others did not

Meaning limits

By itself, the term does not say which items or parts succeeded or failed.

Examples

“The mailing was a partial success: five parcels reached the village, but three were returned.”

Core meaning

“Despite a partial success in clearing the fallen branches, several still blocked the path.”

In context

  • success Broader Term

    Partial success is a limited form of success rather than success for the whole operation or request.

  • complete success Contrast

    Complete success means that all involved items or parts succeed, not only some of them.