Part vs. Element — What's the Difference?

A section or division within a structure.

A fundamental component of a system.

A portion, division, piece, or segment of a whole.

A substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances.

Any of several equal portions or fractions that can constitute a whole or into which a whole can be divided

A basic principle or feature.

A division of a book or artistic work such as a film

A distinct group within a larger environment.

An organ, member, or other division of an organism

A fundamental, essential, or irreducible constituent of a composite entity.

Parts The external genitals.

Elements The basic assumptions or principles of a subject.

A component that can be separated from or attached to a system; a detachable piece

A member of a set.

Often parts A region, area, land, or territory

A point, line, or plane.

A role

A part of a geometric configuration, such as an angle in a triangle.

One's responsibility, duty, or obligation; share

The generatrix of a geometric figure.

Parts Abilities or talents

Any of the terms in the rectangular array of terms that constitute a matrix or determinant.

The music or score for a particular instrument, as in an orchestra.

Chemistry & Physics A substance composed of atoms having an identical number of protons in each nucleus. Elements cannot be reduced to simpler substances by normal chemical means. See Periodic Table.

One of the melodic divisions or voices of a contrapuntal composition.

One of four substances, earth, air, fire, or water, formerly regarded as a fundamental constituent of the universe.

The line where the hair on the head is parted.

(Electricity)The resistance wire in an electrical appliance such as a heater or an oven.

To cause to move apart; put apart

Elements The forces that constitute the weather, especially severe or inclement weather:outside paint that had been damaged by the elements.

To divide into two or more parts; split

An environment naturally suited to or associated with an individual:He is in his element when traveling. The business world is her element.

To break up the relationship or association of

A distinct group within a larger community:the dissident element on campus.

To comb (hair, for example) away from a dividing line, as on the scalp.

A ground unit in an air force comparable to a platoon.

To go away from; depart from

A unit of an air force equal to two or three aircraft.

(Archaic) To divide into shares or portions.

Elements The bread and wine of the Eucharist.

To be divided or separated

One of the simplest or essential parts or principles of which anything consists, or upon which the constitution or fundamental powers of anything are based.

To move apart

(chemistry) Any one of the simplest chemical substances that cannot be decomposed in a chemical reaction or by any chemical means and made up of atoms all having the same number of protons.

To leave one another; take leave

One of the four basic building blocks of matter in theories of ancient philosophers and alchemists: water, earth, fire, and air.

To go away from another; depart

A basic, simple substance out of which something is made, raw material.

(Archaic) To die.

(legal) A required aspect or component of a cause of action. A deed is regarded as a violation of law only if each element can be proved.

To separate or divide into ways going in different directions

(set theory) One of the objects in a set.

To disagree or stop associating because of a disagreement

(mathematics) One of the entries of a matrix.

Partially; in part

Any of the teeth of a zip fastener.

Not full or complete; partial

A small part of the whole.

A portion; a component.

A small but present amount of a quality, a hint.

A fraction of a whole.

A factor, one of the conditions contributing to a result.

A distinct element of something larger.

(obsolete) The sky.

A group inside a larger group.

(obsolete) Any one of the heavenly spheres believed to carry the celestial bodies.

Share, especially of a profit.

Atmospheric forces such as strong winds and rains.

A unit of relative proportion in a mixture.

A place or state of being that an individual or object is best suited to.

3.5 centiliters of one ingredient in a mixed drink.

The bread and wine taken at Holy Communion.

A section of a document.

A group of people within a larger group having a particular common characteristic.

A section of land; an area of a country or other territory; region.

(in the plural only) The basic principles of a field of knowledge, basics, fundamentals, rudiments.

A factor.

A component in electrical equipment, often in the form of a coil, having a high resistance, thereby generating heat when a current is passed through it.

(US) A room in a public building, especially a courtroom.

(mathematics) An infinitesimal interval of a quantity, a differential.

Duty; responsibility.

(astronomy) An orbital element; one of the parameters needed to uniquely specify a particular orbit.

Position or role (especially in a play).

(computing) One of the conceptual objects in a markup language, usually represented in text by tags.

(music) The melody played or sung by a particular instrument, voice, or group of instruments or voices, within a polyphonic piece.

(obsolete) To compound of elements.

Each of two contrasting sides of an argument, debate etc.; "hand".

(obsolete) To constitute and be the elements of.

(US) The dividing line formed by combing the hair in different directions.

One of the simplest or essential parts or principles of which anything consists, or upon which the constitution or fundamental powers of anything are based.

(Judaism) In the Hebrew lunisolar calendar, a unit of time equivalent to 3⅓ seconds.

One of the ultimate, undecomposable constituents of any kind of matter. Specifically: (Chem.) A substance which cannot be decomposed into different kinds of matter by any means at present employed; as, the elements of water are oxygen and hydrogen.

A constituent of character or capacity; quality; faculty; talent; usually in the plural with a collective sense.

One of the ultimate parts which are variously combined in anything; as, letters are the elements of written language; hence, also, a simple portion of that which is complex, as a shaft, lever, wheel, or any simple part in a machine; one of the essential ingredients of any mixture; a constituent part; as, quartz, feldspar, and mica are the elements of granite.

(intransitive) To leave the company of.

One out of several parts combined in a system of aggregation, when each is of the nature of the whole; as, a single cell is an element of the honeycomb.

To cut hair with a parting; shed.

One of the simplest essential parts, more commonly called cells, of which animal and vegetable organisms, or their tissues and organs, are composed.

(transitive) To divide in two.

An infinitesimal part of anything of the same nature as the entire magnitude considered; as, in a solid an element may be the infinitesimal portion between any two planes that are separated an indefinitely small distance. In the calculus, element is sometimes used as synonymous with differential.

(intransitive) To be divided in two or separated; shed.

One of the necessary data or values upon which a system of calculations depends, or general conclusions are based; as, the elements of a planet's orbit.

To divide up; to share.

The simplest or fundamental principles of any system in philosophy, science, or art; rudiments; as, the elements of geometry, or of music.

(obsolete) To have a part or share; to partake.

Any outline or sketch, regarded as containing the fundamental ideas or features of the thing in question; as, the elements of a plan.

To separate or disunite; to remove from contact or contiguity; to sunder.

One of the simple substances, as supposed by the ancient philosophers; one of the imaginary principles of matter.

(obsolete) To hold apart; to stand or intervene between.

The conditions and movements of the air.

To separate by a process of extraction, elimination, or secretion.

The whole material composing the world.

To leave; to quit.

The bread and wine used in the eucharist or Lord's supper.

To leave (an IRC channel).

To compound of elements or first principles.

Fractional; partial.

To constitute; to make up with elements.

Partly; partially; fractionally.

An abstract part of something;

One of the portions, equal or unequal, into which anything is divided, or regarded as divided; something less than a whole; a number, quantity, mass, or the like, regarded as going to make up, with others, a larger number, quantity, mass, etc., whether actually separate or not; a piece; a fragment; a fraction; a division; a member; a constituent.

Any of the more than 100 known substances (of which 92 occur naturally) that cannot be separated into simpler substances and that singly or in combination constitute all matter

An equal constituent portion; one of several or many like quantities, numbers, etc., into which anything is divided, or of which it is composed; proportional division or ingredient.

An artifact that is one of the individual parts of which a composite entity is made up; especially a part that can be separated from or attached to a system;

A constituent portion of a living or spiritual whole; a member; an organ; an essential element.

One of four substances thought in ancient and medieval cosmology to constitute the physical universe;

That which belongs to one, or which is assumed by one, or which falls to one, in a division or apportionment; share; portion; lot; interest; concern; duty; office.

The most favorable environment for a plant or animal;

A constituent of character or capacity; quality; faculty; talent; - usually in the plural with a collective sense.

The situation in which you are happiest and most effective;

One of the opposing parties or sides in a conflict or a controversy; a faction.

A straight line that generates a cylinder or cone

Quarter; region; district; - usually in the plural.

An essential or characteristic part of something abstract.

A particular character in a drama or a play; an assumed personification; also, the language, actions, and influence of a character or an actor in a play; or, figuratively, in real life; as, to play the part of Macbeth. See To act a part, under Act.

Such portion of any quantity, as when taken a certain number of times, will exactly make that quantity; as, 3 is a part of 12; - the opposite of multiple. Also, a line or other element of a geometrical figure.

One of the different melodies of a concerted composition, which heard in union compose its harmony; also, the music for each voice or instrument; as, the treble, tenor, or bass part; the violin part, etc.

To divide; to separate into distinct parts; to break into two or more parts or pieces; to sever.

To divide into shares; to divide and distribute; to allot; to apportion; to share.

To separate or disunite; to cause to go apart; to remove from contact or contiguity; to sunder.

To hold apart; to stand between; to intervene betwixt, as combatants.

To separate by a process of extraction, elimination, or secretion; as, to part gold from silver.

To leave; to quit.

To separate (a collection of objects) into smaller collections; as, to part one's hair in the middle.

To be broken or divided into parts or pieces; to break; to become separated; to go asunder; as, rope parts; his hair parts in the middle.

To go away; to depart; to take leave; to quit each other; hence, to die; - often with from.

To perform an act of parting; to relinquish a connection of any kind; - followed by with or from; as, to part with one's money.

To have a part or share; to partake.

Partly; in a measure.

Something determined in relation to something that includes it;

The extended spatial location of something;

So far as concerns the actor specified;

Something less than the whole of a human artifact;

One of the portions into which something is regarded as divided and which together constitute a whole;

The actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group;

A portion of a natural object;

An actor's portrayal of someone in a play;

Assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group;

Any one of a number of individual efforts in a common endeavor;

The melody carried by a particular voice or instrument in polyphonic music;

A line where the hair is parted;

Go one's own away; move apart;

Discontinue an association or relation; go different ways;

Leave;

Come apart;

Force, take, or pull apart;

In part; in some degree; not wholly;

A distinct segment of something larger.

A piece that combines with others to make a whole.

A role or character in a performance.

A portion of a whole.

Parts are usually tangible but can also be intangible, like a part of a story.

A part is a distinct piece or segment of a larger whole.

Parts are typically interchangeable and replaceable.

An element is a fundamental component or aspect of a system.

Yes, parts often retain their identity when separated.

An engine is a part of a car.

Oxygen is an element of water.

Parts are physical and often replaceable, while elements are foundational and integral.

No, elements can be abstract, like trust in a relationship.

Elements may not function independently as they are intrinsic aspects of a whole.

A screw is a part of a machine.

A rule is an element of a game.

Elements are used for basic principles or features.

Elements are foundational, and their removal or alteration can significantly impact the system.

Parts are used for physical components of a product.