rationing

rationing — noun

1. a system or policy in which a government or other authority controls the supply

1.nounB2
Definition

a system or policy in which a government or other authority controls the supply of scarce resources — such as food, fuel, or water — by giving each person or household a fixed, limited amount

Example

The government introduced food rationing during the war, limiting each family to a monthly allowance.

introduce + strict + [resource] rationing

The hospital imposed water rationing after the drought, so nurses showered for only two minutes.

impose + water rationing

Common collocations
  • food rationing
  • water rationing
  • fuel rationing
  • petrol rationing
  • electricity rationing
  • introduce rationing
  • impose rationing
  • enforce rationing
  • end rationing
  • strict rationing
  • wartime rationing
  • rationing system
Synonyms
  • allocation

    more neutral — allocation can happen even when there is no shortage; rationing specifically implies scarcity

  • quota system

    emphasises fixed numerical limits rather than the broader policy; a quota system is one method of rationing

  • restriction

    broader — any kind of limit, not necessarily a planned distribution by an authority

Antonyms
  • abundance

    a situation in which there is plenty for everyone, the opposite of the scarcity that drives rationing

  • surplus

    having more than enough, which makes limits unnecessary

Grammar Patterns

rationing of [something]

[resource] + rationing

Usage Note

The resource being limited typically appears before the noun (food rationing, water rationing, fuel rationing) or after of (rationing of petrol). Frequently used with verbs like introduce, impose, announce, or enforce.

Common Mistakes

My parents do rationing on how much TV I can watch.
My parents limit how much TV I can watch.
rationing describes official or large-scale systems, not personal household rules.
Each soldier received a rationing of bread.
Each soldier received a ration of bread.
rationing is the system; ration is the individual portion.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Rationing, allocation, quota, and restriction all involve controlling how much people get of something, but they differ in scope and context. Rationing is the broadest policy term, referring to a formal system — often imposed by a government during a crisis — that limits each person's share of a scarce resource. Allocation is a more neutral word: resources can be allocated fairly or unfairly, and the term works for any distribution, not just scarce goods. A quota is a specific numerical limit (e.g. 'an import quota of 10,000 cars per year') and is often one tool within a larger rationing system. Restriction is the most general — any rule that reduces or controls use, whether or not a system of equal shares exists. For example, a government might impose fuel rationing (a complete system with coupons and limits), while a building might simply have a water restriction (a rule, not a per-person distribution).

rationing ↗allocation ↗quota ↗restriction ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • introduce rationing
  • impose rationing
  • end rationing
  • ease rationing
  • lift rationing
  • in place

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Rationing comes from the noun ration, which entered English through French (ration) from Latin ratio, meaning 'a reckoning, calculation, or account'. The sense of a 'fixed daily allowance' for soldiers or sailors developed in the early 1700s. During World War I and World War II, governments created formal systems of controlled distribution for scarce goods, and the word rationing came to describe the entire policy — not just the individual allowance but the system that enforces it.