portion

noun

por·tion | \ˈpȯr-shən

Definition of portion

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : an individual's part or share of something: such as

a : a share received by gift or inheritance

b : dowry

c : enough food especially of one kind to serve one person at one meal

2 : an individual's lot, fate, or fortune : one's share of good and evil

3 : an often limited part of a whole

portion

verb

portioned; portioning\ˈpȯr-sh(ə-)niŋ

Definition of portion (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to divide into portions : distribute portioned out the food equally

2 : to allot a dowry to : dower

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about portion

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for portion

Noun

part, portion, piece, member, division, section, segment, fragment mean something less than the whole. part is a general term appropriate when indefiniteness is required. they ran only part of the way portion implies an assigned or allotted part. cut the pie into six portions piece applies to a separate or detached part of a whole. a puzzle with 500 pieces member suggests one of the functional units composing a body. a structural member division applies to a large or diversified part. the manufacturing division of the company section applies to a relatively small or uniform part. the entertainment section of the newspaper segment applies to a part separated or marked out by or as if by natural lines of cleavage. the retired segment of the population fragment applies to a part produced by or as if by breaking off. only a fragment of the play still exists

fate, destiny, lot, portion, doom mean a predetermined state or end. fate implies an inevitable and usually an adverse outcome. the fate of the submarine is unknown destiny implies something foreordained and often suggests a great or noble course or end. the country's destiny to be a model of liberty to the world lot and portion imply a distribution by fate or destiny, lot suggesting blind chance it was her lot to die childless , portion implying the apportioning of good and evil. remorse was his daily portion doom distinctly implies a grim or calamitous fate. if the rebellion fails, his doom is certain

Examples of portion in a Sentence

Noun

A portion of the donations will be given to the orphanage. Portions of land were used for farming. A considerable portion of the city was flooded. The restaurant gives large portions. She divided the pie into six equal portions.

Verb

The work was portioned to each member of the staff. portioned out the medical supplies equally

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Sometimes, the single-B portions of these deals have later been upgraded. — Ben Eisen, WSJ, "Investors Rev Up the Risk in Subprime Auto Deals," 1 Dec. 2018 Perhaps not surprisingly for a Western, a huge portion of the game is spent on horseback. — Andrew Webster, The Verge, "Red Dead Redemption 2 is the most convincing open-world game ever made," 25 Oct. 2018 Only a portion was removed, unbeknownst to me until two years later. — Jacqueline Andriakos, SELF, "What Appendicitis Really Feels Like, From 13 People Who Have Been There," 16 Oct. 2018 Beginning October 6 in select markets, people can customize pieces, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the OTB Foundation to support anti-bullying and anti-cyberbullying programs in countries around the world. — Mekita Rivas, Teen Vogue, "Bella Thorne, Nicki Minaj, Gucci Mane and Barbie Ferreira Star in Diesel's "Haute Couture"," 19 Sep. 2018 Each photo showcases how the top portion of an outfit can be worn two different ways, simply with a variation in accessories and a switch from skirt to pants. — The Editors, Marie Claire, "Easy Mix-and-Match Outfit Ideas for Fall," 4 Sep. 2018 Both departments of health report that a portion of the people who suffered from the illness had eaten a salad at a McDonald’s in the days leading to their sickness. Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by the Cyclospora parasite. — Don Reisinger, Fortune, "More Than 100 People Ill From Parasite Possibly Linked to McDonald's Salads," 13 July 2018 Normally, the agency mandates a higher price for the full company when one portion of shares are bought through another company. — New York Times, "Comcast and Fox Engage in Bidding War for Control of Sky," 11 July 2018 The money is received by states, and then a portion is distributed to municipalities based on population. — Jim Newton, Lake County News-Sun, "Gurnee Mills outlot in 'highly important' location springs back to life," 2 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Bingo, bongo—a rice bowl for dinner, and easy to portion out for meals for the week. — Alyse Whitney, Bon Appetit, "These Turkey Meatballs Are the Only Meal Prep I’ll Eat 3 Days in a Row," 11 June 2018 The Allen Institute’s partnerships net them only about forty a year, each of which is portioned for a half-dozen teams. — Jacqueline Detwiler, Popular Mechanics, "The Heroes of Science Who Are Unlocking the Brain," 3 Oct. 2018 The practice of sending fish to China to be breaded, seasoned, portioned or packaged has grown in the past two decades, according to U.S. fishing groups. — Jesse Newman, WSJ, "Fish Caught in America, Processed in China Get Trapped by Trade Dispute," 9 Aug. 2018 However, the sea bass was generously portioned, hot and precisely cooked. — Michael Bauer, San Francisco Chronicle, "With market, bakery and cafe, Oakland Chow bites off more than it can chew," 13 Apr. 2018 To portion out each cookie, scoop a heaping tablespoon of cookie dough into your hands. — Tara Duggan, SFChronicle.com, "Recipe: Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies," 20 June 2018 The mini pies are just as ooey-gooey cheesy (with three kinds of cheese!) as the classic, but perfectly portioned as a brunch dish; just add crusty baguettes with butter and a simple, crisp salad to round out the meal. — The Courier-Journal, "A shareable potluck classic goes fun with broccoli and cheese pies for one," 2 June 2018 Every ingredient is measured, portioned, and packaged, and the step-by-step instructions are easy to follow. — Laura Norkin, Glamour, "The 11 Best Healthy Food Delivery Services When You Just Can't With Grocery Shopping," 22 May 2018 Rodriguez does food prep, weighing and portioning out vegetable sides. — Arika Herron, Indianapolis Star, "Teen with autism gains life skills, independence through work program," 30 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'portion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.