moiety

IPA/ˈmɔɪəti/
KK[mˈɔɪətˌi]IPA/ˈmɔɪəti/

moiety — noun

  • moietysingular
  • moietiesplural

1. a part or portion of a whole, most often one of two roughly equal halves — used

1.名詞C1
釋義

a part or portion of a whole, most often one of two roughly equal halves — used mainly in law and finance when dividing property, estates, or payments

例句

Under the will, Yuna received a moiety of her late aunt's estate.

collocation: moiety of + estate / inheritance

A moiety of the annual profits went to each partner, as the contract specified.

同義詞
  • half

    the everyday equivalent; moiety is its formal, legal counterpart

  • portion

    can refer to any fraction, not necessarily one of two

  • share

    emphasises allocation among people; moiety is about the division itself

  • fraction

    neutral about the number of parts; common in mathematical contexts

反義詞
  • whole

    the undivided entirety

  • entirety

    the complete thing before any split

文法句型

a moiety of + noun

用法筆記

Almost always followed by 'of'. Restricted to formal and legal writing; in everyday English, 'half' or 'share' is the natural choice.

常見錯誤

❌I paid my moiety of the dinner bill.
✅I paid my half of the dinner bill.
💡'moiety' sounds absurdly formal for everyday situations; reserve it for legal or financial writing.

2. a distinct structural unit within a molecule, especially one of two large sectio

2.名詞C2
釋義

a distinct structural unit within a molecule, especially one of two large sections that together form a compound

例句

The drug molecule contains a sugar moiety that helps it enter human cells.

collocation: sugar moiety

Dr. Quinn studied how the lipid moiety affected the compound's stability.

collocation: lipid moiety

同義詞
  • subunit

    a smaller unit within a larger structure; common in biochemistry

  • fragment

    suggests something broken off; moiety is a defined structural part

  • component

    a general term for any part; moiety is specific to molecular contexts

文法句型

[modifier] + moiety

moiety of + molecule/compound

用法筆記

Typically preceded by a modifier noun naming the specific molecular substructure (e.g. 'sugar moiety,' 'phosphate moiety'). Common in biochemistry, pharmacology, and organic chemistry.