portion Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun something determined in relation to something that includes it
    component part; part; component; constituent.
    • he wanted to feel a part of something bigger than himself
    • I read a portion of the manuscript
    • the smaller component is hard to reach
    • the animal constituent of plankton
  2. noun something less than the whole of a human artifact
    part.
    • the rear part of the house
    • glue the two parts together
  3. noun the allotment of some amount by dividing something
    share; parcel.
    • death gets more than its share of attention from theologians
  4. noun assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group
    part; share; percentage.
    • he wanted his share in cash
  5. noun your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
    fortune; destiny; fate; lot; luck; circumstances.
    • whatever my fortune may be
    • deserved a better fate
    • has a happy lot
    • the luck of the Irish
    • a victim of circumstances
    • success that was her portion
  6. noun money or property brought by a woman to her husband at marriage
    dowery; dowry; dower.
  7. noun an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal
    helping; serving.
    • the helpings were all small
    • his portion was larger than hers
    • there's enough for two servings each
  8. verb give out
    assign; allot.
    • We were assigned new uniforms

WordNet

Por"tion noun
Etymology
F., from L. portio, akin to pars, partis, a part. See Part, n.
Definitions
  1. That which is divided off or separated, as a part from a whole; a separated part of anything.
  2. A part considered by itself, though not actually cut off or separated from the whole.
    These are parts of his ways; but how little a portion is heard of him! Job xxvi. 14.
    Portions and parcels of the dreadful past. Tennyson.
  3. A part assigned; allotment; share; fate.
    The lord of that servant . . . will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. Luke xii. 46.
    Man's portion is to die and rise again. Keble.
  4. The part of an estate given to a child or heir, or descending to him by law, and distributed to him in the settlement of the estate; an inheritance.
    Give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. Luke xv. 12.
  5. A wife's fortune; a dowry. Shak. Syn. -- Division; share; parcel; quantity; allotment; dividend. -- Portion, Part. Part is generic, having a simple reference to some whole. Portion has the additional idea of such a division as bears reference to an individual, or is allotted to some object; as, a portion of one's time; a portion of Scripture.
Por"tion transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Portioned ; present participle & verbal noun Portioning
Definitions
  1. To separate or divide into portions or shares; to parcel; to distribute.
    And portion to his tribes the wide domain. Pope.
  2. To endow with a portion or inheritance.
    Him portioned maids, apprenticed orphans, blest. Pope.

Webster 1913