# portion

/ˈpɔɹʃən/ (US) · /pˈɔːʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/portion
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a part of a whole

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic

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

For teachers: 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.

### 2. food serving

noun · CEFR B1

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

For teachers: 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.

### 3. fate or destiny

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary

your luck or what happens to you in life.

For teachers: 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.

### 4. to divide and share

verb · CEFR B2

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

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The restaurant serves a large portion of pasta.
- A significant portion of the annual budget is spent on maintaining the city's public parks and playgrounds.
- While the eldest sibling inherited the family estate, a substantial portion of the liquid assets was distributed among the younger children to ensure an equitable division of the late father's wealth.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.