frazione
fraction
noun frah-TSYOH-neh Rare
Origin: Latin fractio (a breaking)
Also means
hamlet; small village
Usage Note
Frazione is used in mathematics for a numerical fraction (un terzo è una frazione), but in Italian administrative geography it specifically means a small settlement officially belonging to a larger comune. English speakers often expect only the math sense, so the village sense is a useful distinction to know.
Examples
"Un quarto è una frazione semplice."
Natural Translation
One quarter is a simple fraction.
Related Words
Explore Italian by topic
ItalianNow
5 min read