portion

B2 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˈpoɹʃən/ UK /ˈpɔːʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #8112

Meanings

1

noun
A part of something larger.

A large portion of the budget goes to education.
2

noun
An amount of food served to one person.

The restaurant serves very generous portions.
3

verb
To divide something into parts and share it out.

She portioned out the soup into four bowls.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a part of something larger. part share

2 noun · an amount of food served to... serving

More apportion divide divvy

Word family

Forms portionedportioningportions

Derived forms marriage-portionmidportionmultiportionoutportionportionableportionistportionlessportionwisepreportionreportionscrimptionsubportion

Related forms helping proportion serving

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

generous portion
An amount of food that is larger than usual or more than enough.

Adjective + noun

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin portiōder. Old French porcionbor. Middle English porcioun English portion From Middle English porcioun, borrowed from Old French porcion, from Latin portio (“a share, part, portion, relation, proportion”), akin to pars (“part”); see part. Compare proportion.

porcioun Middle English porcion Old French portio Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas

External links

# portion

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈpoɹʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpɔːʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 8112

## Meanings
1. A part of something larger.
2. An amount of food served to one person.
3. To divide something into parts and share it out.

## Examples
- A large portion of the budget goes to education.
- The restaurant serves very generous portions.
- She portioned out the soup into four bowls.

## Synonyms
- apportion
- divide
- divvy

## Derived Forms
- marriage-portion
- midportion
- multiportion
- outportion
- portionable
- portionist
- portionless
- portionwise
- preportion
- reportion
- scrimption
- subportion

## Related Forms
- helping
- proportion
- serving

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: porcioun
- Root: porcion
- Root: portio

## Etymology
Etymology tree Latin portiōder. Old French porcionbor. Middle English porcioun English portion From Middle English porcioun, borrowed from Old French porcion, from Latin portio (“a share, part, portion, relation, proportion”), akin to pars (“part”); see part. Compare proportion.

## AI Etymology
Portion comes from Middle English porcioun, borrowed from Old French porcion, from Latin portio (“a share, part, portion, relation, proportion”), akin to pars (“part”); see part. Compare proportion. The historical chain includes porcioun (Middle English), porcion (Old French), portio (Latin). In present-day English it covers a part of something larger, an amount of food served to one person, and to divide something into parts and share it out. The wider family includes derived forms such as marriage-portion, midportion, multiportion, outportion, portionable and related forms such as helping, proportion, serving.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

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