portion

portion — noun

1. a part of a larger whole that belongs to, is given to, or is claimed by a partic

1.nounC1
Definition

a part of a larger whole that belongs to, is given to, or is claimed by a particular person, group, or purpose

Example

A large portion of the school's budget goes to buying new books for the library.

portion of + abstract noun (budget)

Ilan donated a portion of his monthly salary to support the local children's hospital.

portion of + possessive + noun (salary)

Common collocations
  • a portion of
  • large portion
  • small portion
  • significant portion
  • portion of the budget
  • portion of the proceeds
Synonyms
  • part

    more general and neutral; the most common choice for referring to a component of a whole

  • share

    emphasises that the part was divided among multiple people, each getting their fair amount

  • piece

    suggests a separate, often physical fragment that has been cut or broken off

Antonyms
  • whole

    the complete thing that the portion is a part of

Grammar Patterns

portion of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Often followed by 'of' to specify the larger whole. Can describe both physical quantities and abstract concepts such as budgets, time, responsibility, or land.

Common Mistakes

Can you give me a portion of your time today?
Can you spare some of your time today?
'Portion' sounds unnatural with abstract uncountable nouns like 'time'; use 'some' or 'part' instead.
This is my portion of the project.
This is my part of the project.
'Part' or 'share' is more natural than 'portion' for duties and responsibilities in everyday speech.

2. how much of a specific dish or drink a person receives as a single serving, comm

2.nounB2
Definition

how much of a specific dish or drink a person receives as a single serving, commonly at restaurants or inside packaged products

Example

The Italian restaurant near the station serves very generous portions of pasta and salad.

generous portions — describing serving size

Ayana asked for a smaller portion of fried rice because she had already eaten a snack.

smaller portion — requesting less food

Common collocations
  • generous portion
  • double portion
  • portion size
  • portion control
  • large portion
  • small portion
  • portion of vegetables
  • portion of rice
Synonyms
  • serving

    interchangeable in food contexts; 'serving' is slightly more formal and common in nutrition guidelines

  • helping

    informal; suggests a personally served amount, often at a family meal

Grammar Patterns

portion of + food noun

Usage Note

Common in restaurant, cooking, and food-package contexts. Frequently modified by adjectives such as 'generous', 'large', 'small', 'double', or 'single'. Also used in health guidelines (e.g. 'five portions of fruit and vegetables a day').

Common Mistakes

I ate a portion of pizza for lunch.
I ate a slice of pizza for lunch.
'Slice' is the natural word for pizza; 'portion' is used when the restaurant defines the serving size.

portion — verb

Word family

  • portioned
    adjectiveC2
  • portioning
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Portion, share, part, piece, and segment all refer to something less than the whole, but each carries a different emphasis. 'Portion' often suggests a part that has been assigned or allocated to someone — the person's rightful or expected part of a larger whole, such as an inheritance or a budget. 'Share' strongly implies division among multiple people: each person receives their share of something that was split up. 'Part' is the most general and neutral choice, simply indicating a component of a whole without any implication of allocation or division. 'Piece' suggests a separate, often physical fragment that has been broken, cut, or detached from a larger object. 'Segment' focuses on a section that is naturally or logically separated, like segments of an orange or a market segment. For example, 'His portion of the inheritance was the family house' suggests an allocated slice; 'His share of the inheritance was equal to his sister's' emphasises fair division; 'Her part of the project was the design work' is the most natural everyday choice for roles and responsibilities.

portion ↗share ↗part ↗piece ↗segment ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a portion of
  • portion out
  • portion control
  • portion size

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Latin 'portio' (meaning 'share, part'), which passed through Old French 'porcion' before entering Middle English in the 13th century. The original idea of a 'part assigned to someone' has stayed at the heart of the word ever since.