Portion — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈpȯr-shən/ por·tion

Meaning & Definition of Portion

Portion (noun)

  1. an individual's part or share of something
  2. a share received by gift or inheritance
  3. dowry

Portion (verb)

  1. to divide into portions, distribute
  2. to allot a dowry to, dower

Portion (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a state or end that seemingly has been decided beforehand

    "he had always just assumed that lifelong bachelorhood would be his portion"

    similar: circumstance, destiny, doom, fate, fortune, kismet, lot
    related: accident, casualty (archaic), chance, hap, happenchance, happenstance, hazard, luck, predestination, aftereffect, aftermath, conclusion, consequence, development, effect, fruit, issue, outcome, outgrowth, result, resultant, sequel, sequence, upshot

  2. one of the pieces from which something is designed to be assembled

    "equal portions of the students' day are devoted to study, recreation, and sleep"

    similar: member, part, partition, section, segment
    related: component, constituent, element, factor, ingredient, moiety, parcel, cut, length, bit, fragment, particle, scrap
    near: whole, aggregate, composite, compound, sum, total, totality

  3. something belonging to, due to, or contributed by an individual member of a group

    "each camper gets an equal portion of the food"

    similar: allotment, allowance, cut, end, part, piece, proportion, quota, share, slice, take, piece of the action
    related: lot, ration, commission, percentage, member, partition, section, segment
    near: aggregate, composite, compound, pool, sum, total, totality, whole

Portion (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to give out (something) to appropriate individuals

    "portioned out the medical supplies equally"

    similar: administer, allocate, apportion, deal (out), dispense, distribute, dole out, hand out, mete (out), parcel (out), prorate
    related: admeasure, allot, allow, appropriate, assign, dish out, divide, divvy (up), dollop (out), lot, measure (out), part, proportion, ration, redistribute, set, share (out), split, bestow, disburse, furnish, issue, provide, share, supply, circulate, disperse, disseminate, scatter, spread, chip in, contribute, donate, pledge, reallocate, reapportion
    opposite: misallocate
    near: begrudge, decline, deny, deprive (of), disallow, refuse, reject, withhold, niggle (out), pinch, skimp, stint

Related Entry: Portion (out) (verb)

Portion (out) is a different word from Portion. The synonyms below are for portion (out), not for portion.

  1. as in dole out, mete (out)

    similar: dole out, mete (out), ration (out), nurse, scant, skimp (on), spare, stint (on), pinch, shortchange, conserve, preserve
    opposite: heap, lavish, pour, rain, shower

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Portion

The most common words with a similar meaning to Portion:

circumstance, destiny, doom, fate, fortune, kismet, lot, member, part, partition, section, segment, allotment, allowance, cut, end, piece, proportion, quota, share, slice, take, piece of the action, administer, allocate, apportion, deal (out), dispense, distribute, dole out, hand out, mete (out), parcel (out), prorate

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Portion

Words with the opposite meaning of Portion:

misallocate

Related Words for Portion

accident, casualty, chance, hap, happenchance, happenstance, hazard, luck, predestination, aftereffect, aftermath, conclusion, consequence, development, effect, fruit, issue, outcome, outgrowth, result, resultant, sequel, sequence, upshot, component, constituent, element, factor, ingredient, moiety

Near Antonyms of Portion

whole, aggregate, composite, compound, sum, total, totality, pool, begrudge, decline, deny, deprive (of), disallow, refuse, reject, withhold, niggle (out), pinch, skimp, stint

Word Forms of Portion

Inflections: portioned, portioning

Origin & Etymology of Portion

Middle English porcioun, porcion "part allotted to a person or institution, share, section into which a thing is divided, quantity", borrowed from Anglo-French porciun, porcioun, borrowed from Latin portiōn-, portiō "ratio, proportion, part, share" (earliest in the phrase prō portiōne "in the degree proper to each, proportionately"), probably by dissimilation from *prōrtiōne, by univerbation and syncope from prō ratiōne "in proportion" (with ratiō "reckoning, calculation, proportion") pro-:2, reason:1

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Portion

Words & Phrases Containing Portion

preportion

Frequently Asked Questions about Portion

What does "Portion" mean?

"Portion" means an individual's part or share of something. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: an individual's part or share of something. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Portion"?

Other words for "Portion" include circumstance, destiny, doom, fate, fortune, kismet, lot and member. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Portion" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Portion"?

There are 103 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Portion". Common alternatives include circumstance, destiny, doom, fate, fortune, kismet, lot, member, part and partition.

What is the opposite of "Portion"?

Antonyms of "Portion" include misallocate. Near antonyms include whole, aggregate, composite and compound.

How do you use "Portion" in a sentence?

Examples of "Portion" in a sentence: "he had always just assumed that lifelong bachelorhood would be his portion"; "equal portions of the students' day are devoted to study, recreation, and sleep"; "each camper gets an equal portion of the food".

Is "Portion" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Portion" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Portion" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Portion"?

"Portion" is pronounced /ˈpȯr-shən/ and divided into syllables as por·tion.