A single word for not-full

Question

I find myself struggling to find a single non-hyphenated word that expresses the state between empty and full, assuming the container started off empty.

I want to emphasize on the state of being 'not-full'. So I am not allowed to use 'nonempty'.

The word can't be 'depleted' because it assumes a container that was once full, and now has 'lessened' and became nonempty or empty. The word I am looking for should assume a container that started off empty, and now is half-full.

Example context:

We add the grains to a _____ silo.
I put the box in a _____ warehouse.
He parked the car in a _____ car park.

The closest word I can think of is 'unfull' but it isn't really a word. Is there a single non-hyphenated word that can express such state?

The context I am using it in is 'filling', but static works fine too. — An old senile guy, Aug 05 '19 at 16:02
The need to suggest a starting point produces some difficulty. Without that requirement, I'd describe each location as available. — TaliesinMerlin, Aug 05 '19 at 16:05
He parked the car in a _____ car park - you'd park your car into an empty space. — marcellothearcane, Aug 05 '19 at 16:09
'Unfull' appears in Wiktionary and is quite common on the internet. I'd wager on it being in OED. This is the usual accepted test of wordness. — Edwin Ashworth, Aug 05 '19 at 16:17
Unfilled is the closest candidate yes. Sadly there is ambiguity if used without context since it can mean it is empty (literally not filled). — An old senile guy, Aug 05 '19 at 16:21
In any remotely "formal" context I'd use a phrase - *with spare capacity*, for example. — FumbleFingers, Aug 05 '19 at 16:32
@Boondoggle: If it's a big enough container, you might still be happily choosing it to put things in, even when it's 90% or 99% full. — FumbleFingers, Aug 05 '19 at 18:08
All of your examples can be completed with the word 'available'. But that would not express drinking from a half-full bottle of milk. — Nigel J, Aug 05 '19 at 18:45
@EdwinAshworth OED does have an entry for *unfull but it is not very helpful. It only provides two quotes, both very old, and trying to read the definition gives an application error. — barbecue, Aug 05 '19 at 23:46
If I close-vote, it might magically close this question, but I consider that reasonable evidence of research should be shown. It seems inappropriate on ELU to have a fairly heavily upvoted answer as simplistic as 'unfilled'. This could perhaps have been found by looking in a thesaurus for 'full: antonym'. — Edwin Ashworth, Aug 06 '19 at 13:20
I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it's a thesaurus lookup question. — nohat, Aug 06 '19 at 17:55

Justin · Answer 1 · 2019-08-08T19:07:36.610

6

I think "unfilled" would work:

My bottle is unfilled.
No unfilled spaces have been found.

unfilled

not filled

an unfilled bottle

unfilled spaces

a vacancy left unfilled

an unfilled order

Merriam-Webster

edited Aug 08 '19 at 19:07

answered Aug 05 '19 at 16:34

Justin

10,186

1

This is probably as good as can be managed. – Mick Aug 05 '19 at 18:27
3

But an unfilled bottle could be empty. I don't know of any single English word that means "not empty, and also not full". – Lee Daniel Crocker Aug 05 '19 at 23:35
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@LeeDanielCrocker - In fact, in my book, I would not expect any water in a bottle that was described as ”unfilled”. – Jim Aug 07 '19 at 23:40

score 2 · Answer 2 · edited Jun 15 '20 at 07:40

2

In the examples given by the OP, there is, in fact, no extra word required:

We add the grains to a silo.

I put the box in a warehouse.

He parked the car in a car park.

The fact of 'adding' 'putting' and 'parking' includes the information that there was space there in which to 'add' 'put' or 'park'.

That is why we have no word for the concept. That is why the English language has developed without a word to express what the OP is trying to express.

Language develops from concepts.

edited Jun 15 '20 at 07:40

Community

1

answered Aug 08 '19 at 04:37

Nigel J

24,448

1

The examples are merely attempts to show where the candidate might be used. 'We hoped that there would be a _____ car park near the theatre.' The extra word is required to alter the meaning/ – Edwin Ashworth Aug 10 '19 at 15:44

Arty Stable · Answer 3 · 2019-08-07T15:10:54.907

0

I would conciser one of the following for your particular case:

Capacious
Ample

In review, capacious seems particularly applicable in this specific context as based on the definition from www.dictionary.com:

Capacious: Capable of holding much; spacious or roomy.
For example: "A capacious storage bin."

But I think the key here is to realize that the magnitude qualifier is dependent on the specific context.

You would probably not use a word like "empty" or "full" to describe the air contents of a balloon. In such case you would probably more likely use "deflated" or "inflated". The fact that "empty" or "full" are generally quite broadly applicable does not necessarily imply that there exists a word in between that is also broadly applicable. Though perhaps it should, if indeed it does not yet exist. Definitely an interesting situation.

Cheers,
Arty

Edit: Swapped in two new word suggestions that might fit more appropriately for the given context than the ones originally suggested ("growing" and "developing").

edited Aug 07 '19 at 15:10

answered Aug 05 '19 at 16:23

Arty Stable

27

1

Can you think of a word that would match the static swnse the asker is looking for too? – marcellothearcane Aug 05 '19 at 16:47
I gave this one another go and for the particular context, I think either "capacious" or "ample" might be applicable words for the desired meaning. – Arty Stable Aug 07 '19 at 15:12
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Capacious doesn't describe how much stuff is currently in a container. – nnnnnn Aug 08 '19 at 02:01
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... and 'ample' doesn't say what proportion of the container is full. A huge container 1/4 full, or a medium container 98% full? – Edwin Ashworth Aug 10 '19 at 15:41
@nnnnnn good point..! – Arty Stable Aug 12 '19 at 15:22
@EdwinAshworth You know what, you are right. Definitely not the ideal answer the question was looking for. Thanks for sharing your thoughts & wishing you best! – Arty Stable Aug 12 '19 at 15:25

A single word for not-full

3 Answers3