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

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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

So, when the holidays roll around this year, Dr. Sacks will likely enjoy an ample portion of turkey, a generous pool of gravy, pecan pie topped with ice cream—and a cholesterol test scheduled well into next year. — Jo Craven Mcginty, WSJ, "High Cholesterol? It Must Be January," 18 Jan. 2019 So each layer's receptive field encompasses a larger portion of the original image than the layers that preceded it. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "How computers got shockingly good at recognizing images," 18 Dec. 2018 Each year, a new crop of designers take to the stage to accept their awards, but what remains the same is the meal itself: an individual portion of chicken pot pie. — Elise Taylor, Vogue, "What’s on the Menu at the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards Dinner? Chicken Pot Pie, of Course," 6 Nov. 2018 The advantage this route has over electrolysis is treating a larger portion at a time, while electrolysis (elaborated on below) is individually ablating one follicle at a time — think waxing versus plucking. — Sam Escobar, Good Housekeeping, "8 Gentle and Effective Ways to Remove Facial Hair," 17 Aug. 2018 The Ponte Morandi bridge is already a scary drive on a good day, with traffic coming in hard and fast through a viaduct, rising some 300 feet above a railway line, a riverbed, and an industrial portion of the port city of Genoa. — Laura Dannen Redman, Condé Nast Traveler, "Genoa's Ponte Morandi Bridge Collapses, Killing 22," 14 Aug. 2018 Texter also was passing on an uphill portion of East Cherokee Drive, according to the indictment. — Steve Burns, ajc, "North Fulton woman indicted in deadly Cherokee County crash," 13 July 2018 Thanks to the possible blue-green algae an additional portion will go to the Lake Country Clean Water Association. — Jordyn Noennig, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Pewaukee Lakefront Park beach closed for algae testing; June 28 ski show canceled," 28 June 2018 This final portion—returning to the good morning and then standing up—should be done over the course of two, slow counts. — Jenny Mccoy, SELF, "All About the Kang Squat, Rumer Willis’s Go-to Glute-Strengthening Move," 3 Apr. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Every ingredient is measured, portioned, and packaged, and the step-by-step instructions are easy to follow. — Glamour, "The 11 Best Healthy Food Delivery Services When You Just Can't With Grocery Shopping," 2 Jan. 2019 Every ingredient is measured, portioned, and packaged, and the step-by-step instructions are easy to follow. — Glamour, "The 11 Best Healthy Food Delivery Services When You Just Can't With Grocery Shopping," 2 Jan. 2019 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

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.