What does "portion" mean?

1. (a part of a whole) a part of something larger, like a project or a sum of money. 2. (food serving) the amount of food served to one person at a meal. 3. (fate or destiny) your luck or what happens to you in life. 4. (to divide and share) to divide something into parts so you can give it to different people.

How do you use "portion"?

Often functions as a phrasal verb 'portion out' when describing the physical act of distribution.

portion

n. · v.

US //ˈpɔɹʃən// UK //pˈɔːʃən// por·tion

1 a part of a whole (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

a part of something larger, like a project or a sum of money.

a constituent part or section of a larger whole. Often used in formal or academic contexts to describe segments of a total amount.

Example

A large portion of the company's budget is spent on advertising.

Example

The research team dedicated a significant portion of their findings to the environmental impact of urban expansion.
- whole
- entirety
2 food serving (n.)
B1 Intermediate Cooking

the amount of food served to one person at a meal.

an individual serving of food intended for one person.

Example

The restaurant serves very generous portions of pasta.

Example

Nutritionists recommend controlling portion sizes to maintain a balanced diet, especially when consuming calorie-dense processed foods.
- serving
- helping

Show 2 more sensesShow fewer

3 fate or destiny (n.)
C2 Proficiency Literary

your luck or what happens to you in life.

one's destiny, lot, or predetermined fate in life.

Example

Hard work and long hours were his portion in those early years.

Example

In the classic novel, the protagonist accepts that a life of solitude is to be his inevitable portion.
4 to divide and share (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to divide something into parts so you can give it to different people.

to divide a whole into shares for distribution or allocation. Often used with 'out'.

Example

The mother carefully portioned out the cake so each child got an equal piece.

Example

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.
- combine
- collect

Origin

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.