portion

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A part or share of something larger, especially an amount of food for one person.

   Grammar: Countable: use 'a portion' or 'portions'. Often followed by 'of'.

   Patterns

   • a portion of something
   • portion sizes
   • a large/small portion

   She gave each child a small portion of cake.

   The restaurant serves generous portions.

   A portion of the profits goes to charity.

2. 2verbtransitive

   To divide something into parts and give a share to each person.

   Grammar: Takes an object: portion the food. Often followed by 'out'.

   Patterns

   • portion something out
   • portion something among someone
   • portion something to someone

   He portioned the rice into four equal bowls.

   The nurse portioned out the medicine carefully.

   She portioned the land among her children.

Word forms

Common combinations

portion size

The portion size at this café is just right for lunch.

a portion of

Only a portion of the students passed the exam.

generous portion

They serve a generous portion of pasta.

portion out

Please portion out the snacks for the children.

double portion

He asked for a double portion of ice cream.

Synonyms and how they differ

serving

A serving is a specific amount of food for one person, often used in restaurants; 'portion' can also mean a share of anything.

share

A share is a part that belongs to someone, especially in a company or inheritance; 'portion' is more general.

part

A general word for a piece of something; 'portion' often suggests a measured or allotted amount.

Opposites

Word family

portion verb

To divide into shares.

Commonly confused: portion or proportion?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “portion”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words