fracture

1 of 2

noun

frac·​ture ˈfrak-chər 

-shər

1

: the result of fracturing : break

2

a

: the act or process of breaking or the state of being broken

especially : the breaking of hard tissue (such as bone)

b

: the rupture (as by tearing) of soft tissue

kidney fracture

3

: the general appearance of a freshly broken surface of a mineral

fracture

2 of 2

verb

fractured; fracturing ˈfrak-chə-riŋ 

-shriŋ

transitive verb

1

a

: to cause a crack or fracture in : break

fracture a rib

b

: rupture, tear

2

a

: to damage or destroy as if by rupturing

b

: to cause great disorder in

c

: to break up : fractionate

d

: to go beyond the limits of (something, such as a rule) : violate

… fractured many of the laws of probability …

—Sheldon Cheney

intransitive verb

: to undergo fracture : to crack or break

Her wrist fractured in the fall.

Synonyms

Verb

• break
• break up
• bust
• disintegrate
• dismember
• disrupt
• fragment
• rive

Examples of fracture in a Sentence

Noun

a fracture in the Earth's crust

She suffered a wrist fracture when she slipped on the ice.

Verb

Her wrist fractured when she fell on the ice.

Their happiness was fractured by an unforeseen tragedy.

These problems may fracture the unity of the two parties.

Their fragile happiness fractured all too soon.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Lauren, 44, who was driving their Chevy Suburban and suffered broken bones in both arms, along with spine fractures and an intestinal tear, was the only survivor in their family. —Abby Roedel, People.com, 5 Dec. 2024

The show was written and filmed before the 2024 election, but the cultural fractures examined here were no less present a few months ago (or years, or even decades). —Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 28 Nov. 2024

Verb

Terance Mann, who fractured the middle finger on his left hand in Tuesday’s game, will have surgery Thursday and will miss at least three weeks. —Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 5 Dec. 2024

The media landscape has fractured since then, with the rise of streaming services scrambling the old ways of doing business. —Brent Lang, Variety, 5 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Latin frāctūra "act of breaking, breaking of a bone," from frāctus (past participle of frangere "to break, shatter") + -ūra -ure — more at break entry 1

Verb

derivative of fracture entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1612, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing fracture

• closed fracture
• compound fracture
• fracture zone
• freeze fracture
• greenstick fracture
• open fracture
• simple fracture
• stress fracture

Kids Definition

fracture

noun

frac·​ture

ˈfrak-chər,

-shər

1

: the act or process of breaking : the state of being broken

especially : the breaking of a bone

2

: the result of fracturing

especially : an injury resulting from fracture of a bone

fracture verb

Medical Definition

fracture

1 of 2 noun

frac·​ture ˈfrak-chər, -shər 

1

: the act or process of breaking or the state of being broken

specifically : the breaking of hard tissue and especially bone

2

: the rupture (as by tearing) of soft tissue

kidney fracture

fracture

2 of 2 transitive verb

fractured; fracturing -chə-riŋ, -shriŋ 

1

: to cause a fracture in

fracture a rib

2

: to cause a rupture or tear in

a blow that fractured a kidney