Standard Lemma guide

piecewise

adj · adv · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Defined by subfunctions and subdomains

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: piecewise-defined

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Clipping of piecewise linear.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, not-comparable

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

In terms or by means of pieces; a piece at a time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: piecemeal, apiece

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: piecemeal, apiece

Antonyms: none provided

4

adv

Meaning 4

Throughout separate parts, but not necessarily throughout the whole.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: especially, not-comparable

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English piece Proto-Indo-European *weyd- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *wéydos Proto-Indo-European *weyd-s-ós Proto-Germanic *wīsaz Proto-Germanic *-wīsaz Proto-West Germanic *-wīs Old English -wīs Middle English -wis English -wise English piecewise From piece + -wise.

Across languages

Translations

21 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: paloittain — piece at a time
  • Polish: odcinkowo — piece at a time
  • Polish: po kawałku — piece at a time
  • Spanish: por piezas — piece at a time
  • Swedish: stegvis — piece at a time
  • Swedish: steg för steg — piece at a time
  • Swedish: etappvis — piece at a time
  • Asturian: a tramos — mathematics: throughout separate parts but not necessarily throughout the whole
  • Catalan: a trossos — mathematics: throughout separate parts but not necessarily throughout the whole
  • Finnish: paloittain — mathematics: throughout separate parts but not necessarily throughout the whole
  • French: par morceaux — mathematics: throughout separate parts but not necessarily throughout the whole
  • Galician: por tramos — mathematics: throughout separate parts but not necessarily throughout the whole
  • Icelandic: á köflum — mathematics: throughout separate parts but not necessarily throughout the whole
  • Italian: a tratti — mathematics: throughout separate parts but not necessarily throughout the whole
  • Japanese: 区分的に (kubunteki-ni) — mathematics: throughout separate parts but not necessarily throughout the whole
  • Polish: przedziałowo — mathematics: throughout separate parts but not necessarily throughout the whole
  • Portuguese: por partes — mathematics: throughout separate parts but not necessarily throughout the whole
  • Portuguese: em troços — mathematics: throughout separate parts but not necessarily throughout the whole
  • Spanish: por tramos — mathematics: throughout separate parts but not necessarily throughout the whole
  • Spanish: por partes — mathematics: throughout separate parts but not necessarily throughout the whole
  • Spanish: a trozos — mathematics: throughout separate parts but not necessarily throughout the whole