Word
portion
Phoneticspor·tion, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈpɔɹʃən/
UK/pˈɔːʃən/
Definitions
01a part of a whole
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Academic
n. a part of something larger, like a project or a sum of money.
n. a constituent part or section of a larger whole. Often used in formal or academic contexts to describe segments of a total amount.
“A large portion of the company's budget is spent on advertising.”
“The research team dedicated a significant portion of their findings to the environmental impact of urban expansion.”
02food serving
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Cooking
n. the amount of food served to one person at a meal.
n. an individual serving of food intended for one person.
“The restaurant serves very generous portions of pasta.”
“Nutritionists recommend controlling portion sizes to maintain a balanced diet, especially when consuming calorie-dense processed foods.”
03fate or destiny
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Literary
n. your luck or what happens to you in life.
n. one's destiny, lot, or predetermined fate in life.
“Hard work and long hours were his portion in those early years.”
“In the classic novel, the protagonist accepts that a life of solitude is to be his inevitable portion.”
04to divide and share
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to divide something into parts so you can give it to different people.
v. to divide a whole into shares for distribution or allocation. Often used with 'out'.
“The mother carefully portioned out the cake so each child got an equal piece.”
“The relief agency began to portion out the emergency supplies to the families displaced by the flood.”
Usage
Often functions as a phrasal verb 'portion out' when describing the physical act of distribution.
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “portion” in context.
Adjective
01. significant portion
“A significant portion of the company's profits is donated to local charities every year.”
adj + noun
02. substantial portion
“The renovation project took up a substantial portion of the annual budget.”
adj + noun
Real-World Examples
“Parts of the United States and Canada will have the chance to see the moon block at least a small portion of the sun.” “However, depending on the orbit the solar panels are put in, the Earth may shadow them for some portion of the orbit.” “A newly published study from University of Iowa Health Care suggests that a surprisingly small portion of human DNA plays a major role in language ability.” Etymology
From Middle English porcioun, borrowed from Old French porcion, from Latin portio (“a share, part, portion, relation, proportion”), akin to pars (“part”); see part. Compare proportion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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