Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for predicate application using partial compression dictionary match. A search strategy is developed for each predicate to be applied to compressed data. The compressed data is searched using the search strategy to locate the compression symbols identified in the search strategy. In response to locating a compression symbol from the search strategy in the compressed data, a respective row and applying the predicate is decompressed and a respective row that matches the predicate is returned to a database engine or an application.