portion

noun

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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

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 There is a huge portion of our catalog that is designed to encourage people to go see films in theaters. — Jamie Lang, Variety, 20 Jan. 2022 The difference between the two scenarios is the climate change portion. — John Deering, Arkansas Online, 17 Jan. 2022 The funding, which comes from the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan President Joe Biden signed into law in November, is just a portion of the roughly $17 billion the state is expected to receive from the overall package. — Dan Petrella, chicagotribune.com, 14 Jan. 2022 The divisive concepts, while far from the only proposal educators have objected to, have been the most controversial portion of the bills. — Arika Herron, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Jan. 2022 The snowy winter-season tour focuses on the Northern Range, located between Mammoth Hot Springs and Cooke City, as this 50-mile stretch is the only portion of the park's 300 miles of road that's open to vehicles from November to April. — Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 11 Jan. 2022 Well, there's a good portion of us that do, but 30% of the country doesn't watch it. — NBC News, 9 Jan. 2022 This is the record-breaking portion of the journey, a flight that is less than the length of the runway at most major airports. — Barry Neild, CNN, 7 Jan. 2022 The long, thin buoy is one portion of the two-part Air Deployable Active Receiver (ADAR) system. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 6 Jan. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The results are hearty, easy to portion and extremely versatile. — Tribune News Service, cleveland, 26 Oct. 2021 Sometimes that’s the best, or only way, to portion out a large slab pie or pizza. — Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2021 Use a spoon to portion some half-moons of perfectly ripe avocado on top. — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 8 Sep. 2021 Workers portion them out precisely, measuring the stiff salmon into boxes, then boating them to other communities in the region. — Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Sep. 2021 If your gluttonous best friend plows through food too fast, a slow-feed option can portion out the meal over 15 minutes. — Sal Vaglica, WSJ, 21 July 2021 At the table, portion out soufflé into individual bowls. — Odette Williams, WSJ, 18 June 2021 Mix up a batch of brownie batter, portion it into a muffin tin, and bake as directed. — Zoe Denenberg, Southern Living, 21 May 2021 Edibles containing lower doses of THC and CBD also allow consumers to safely portion themselves and select their level of high. — Sydney Gore, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2021

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.