plural portions
1
: a part of a larger amount, area, etc.
A portion of the donations will be given to the orphanage.
Portions of land were used for farming.
A considerable/significant portion of the city was flooded.
2
: a part of something that is shared with other people
—usually singular
A portion of the blame belongs to you.
He took on a large portion of the work.
3
: the amount of food that is served to a person at one time
The restaurant gives large/generous portions.
I'll just have a small portion [=serving] of meat.
She divided the pie into six equal portions.
portions; portioned; portioning
: to divide (something) into parts and give those parts to people
The work was portioned to each member of the staff.
—usually + outThey portioned the supplies out equally.
The supplies were portioned out among the troops.
Cite this Entry
“Portion.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/portion. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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