ration

ration — noun

1. an officially controlled portion of an essential resource — such as bread, petro

1.nounB1
Definition

an officially controlled portion of an essential resource — such as bread, petrol, or drinking water — that may be claimed by one person when supplies are tight, for instance during wartime or after a natural disaster.

Example

During the drought, each family received a monthly ration of drinking water.

collocation: a ration of + scarce resource

The government announced that the daily bread ration would be cut to 200 grams per person.

Common collocations
  • daily ration
  • weekly ration
  • monthly ration
  • bread ration
  • fuel ration
  • water ration
  • food ration
  • emergency ration
  • sugar ration
  • meat ration
Synonyms
  • allotment

    more general; can refer to any assigned share, not just scarce goods

  • allowance

    focuses on what is permitted rather than what is physically given out

  • quota

    suggests a production or sales target, not a consumption limit

Antonyms
  • surplus

    an excess beyond what is needed, the opposite of scarcity-based rationing

Grammar Patterns

a ration of something

Usage Note

Often modified by a time period (daily/weekly/monthly) and paired with the resource being restricted (bread/water/fuel).

Common Mistakes

The shop gave me a ration of apples.
The shop gave me a portion of apples.
'ration' implies official restriction due to scarcity, not a simple serving size.

2. the fixed daily supply of food given to soldiers, explorers, or other people liv

2.nounB2
Definition

the fixed daily supply of food given to soldiers, explorers, or other people living in remote or difficult conditions where food is not freely available.

Example

The platoon's rations ran out on the third day of the march through the jungle.

plural form: rations (standard for daily food supply)

Nala packed enough rations for a week before crossing the desert with her team.

Common collocations
  • field rations
  • cold rations
  • survival rations
  • emergency rations
  • dried rations
  • army rations
  • military rations
  • daily rations
  • iron rations
  • on short rations
Synonyms
  • provisions

    broader term for any food supplies, not necessarily restricted or fixed in amount

  • supplies

    can include non-food items as well

  • field rations

    specifically refers to military rations intended for combat conditions

Grammar Patterns

(plural) rations

Usage Note

Nearly always used in the plural form 'rations' when referring to a soldier's or traveller's food supply. The singular suggests a single item or portion.

Common Mistakes

The soldiers ate their ration for breakfast.' (unclear — sounds like one item)
The soldiers ate their rations for breakfast.
Use the plural form for the full daily food supply.

3. how much of something a person typically gets or goes through in a given situati

3.nounB2
Definition

how much of something a person typically gets or goes through in a given situation, frequently used in the phrase 'had one's ration of' to suggest that no more is wanted.

Example

Liam has had his fair ration of bad luck — a car crash and job loss.

pattern: have had one's fair ration of [something]

The old hospital had its usual ration of broken lifts, leaking roofs, and short-staffed wards.

Common collocations
  • fair ration of
  • usual ration of
  • normal ration of
  • more than one's ration of
Synonyms
  • share

    more neutral; lacks the 'had enough' tone

  • portion

    suggests a deliberately divided part, not a naturally occurring experience

  • dose

    often used for unpleasant experiences, similar tone but stronger

Grammar Patterns

one's fair ration of something

one's usual ration of something

Usage Note

This sense carries a tone of mild complaint or resignation. Common in the fixed phrase 'have had one's ration of' to mean 'have had enough and do not want more.'

Common Mistakes

I got my ration of three apples at the market today.
I bought my usual three apples at the market today.
'ration' in this sense is figurative, not literal.

ration — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to a fixed share of something, but they differ in tone and context. 'Allowance' focuses on what is permitted or granted, often regularly (e.g. a child's weekly allowance or a travel expense allowance). 'Quota' implies a target or minimum required amount, often in production, sales, or immigration contexts (e.g. hiring quotas). 'Allotment' is the most neutral term for a share that has been assigned, whether of time, land, or tasks. 'Ration' stands apart because it carries a strong sense of scarcity and official control — you ration things when there simply is not enough for everyone. For example: 'The soldiers received their daily food ration' has a wartime urgency that 'daily food allotment' lacks. In everyday conversation, you might say 'I've had my ration of problems this week' as a figure of speech, but you would not say 'my quota of problems' in the same informal way.

allowance ↗quota ↗allotment ↗portion ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • on rations
  • off rations
  • ration cards
  • ration book
  • ration stamps
  • put on rations

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'ration' entered English in the mid-18th century from French 'ration', which came from Latin 'rationem' (meaning a reckoning, calculation, or portion). The Latin root is also the source of 'ratio' and 'rational'. The military sense — a daily food allowance for soldiers — became common during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 1800s, and the verb sense 'to limit supplies by controlled distribution' developed during the World Wars of the 20th century when governments rationed food, fuel, and clothing across entire populations.