portion
This term carries a strong sense of allocation and boundary, whether referring to a physical slice of food or a conceptual slice of time. It suggests a deliberate act of dividing a whole into specific, measured segments, often implying a sense of fairness or entitlement in the distribution process. When used to describe fate or destiny, the word takes on a solemn, almost archaic tone, framing a person's life circumstances as a pre-assigned share of experience. In this specific sense, it functions as a singular noun that describes an inevitable lot in life rather than a divisible quantity.
Meanings
A part of a whole that has been divided or allocated.
"She gave a large portion of her salary to charity."
An amount of food served for one person.
"The restaurant serves a generous portion of fries with every burger."
Examples
She gave a large portion of her inheritance to charity.
He ate a generous portion of mashed potatoes.
The largest portion of the day was spent in meetings.
It was his portion to suffer the consequences of his mistakes.
The estate was portioned out among the four heirs.
Collocations & Compounds
generous portion
Noun collocation: a large amount of food served to one person
The restaurant is famous for serving a generous portion of fries with every burger.
equal portion
Noun collocation: a share of a whole that is the same size as others
Each child received an equal portion of the cake.
substantial portion
Noun collocation: a significant part of a larger whole
A substantial portion of the budget was allocated to research and development.
portion out
Verb collocation: to divide something into smaller shares
She began to portion out the remaining seeds into small envelopes for the gardeners.
portion the land
Verb collocation: to divide a piece of property into smaller plots
The developer decided to portion the land into several residential lots.
Phrasal Verbs
portion out
to divide something into smaller shares for distribution
The teacher had to portion out the remaining art supplies among the students.
Idioms & Sayings
lion's portion
the largest part of something
The CEO took the lion's portion of the annual bonus.
portion out
to distribute something in shares
She began to portion out the remaining supplies to the refugees.