ration

1 of 2

noun

ra·​tion ˈra-shən How to pronounce ration (audio) ˈrā- How to pronounce ration (audio)
Synonyms of ration
1
a
: a food allowance for one day
b
rations plural : food, provisions
2
: a share especially as determined by supply

ration

2 of 2

verb

rationed; rationing ˈra-sh(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce ration (audio)
ˈrā-

transitive verb

1
: to supply with or put on rations
2
a
: to distribute as rations
—often used with out
b
: to distribute equitably
c
: to use sparingly

Synonyms of ration

Relevance

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of ration in a Sentence

Noun The soldiers were given their rations for the day. The horse was fed its ration of oats. weekly sugar and butter rations Verb During the war, the government rationed gasoline. the region has had to ration water during times of drought
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Native communities—who had been eating fresh, seasonal foods long before farmers’ markets were a thing—were now forced to stand in line for military rations, subsisting on commodity foods like white flour, sugar, and blocks of orange cheese. — Literary Hub, 20 July 2026 The gosiwon residents were delighted to supplement their rations with Bo’s regular food bonuses. — Min Jin Lee, New Yorker, 19 July 2026
Verb
Supplies ran low in some countries, leading to sporadic fuel rationing in Australia and government office closures in Nepal and Sri Lanka. — Cathy Bussewitz, Fortune, 31 July 2026 During the lean Depression and war years, when unemployment was high and food was being rationed, potlucks provided a social outlet that didn’t put the financial burden on a single host. — Shoshi Parks, Popular Science, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ration

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, from Latin ration-, ratio computation, reason

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1711, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ration was circa 1711

Phrases Containing ration

Rhymes for ration

See All Rhymes for ration

Browse Nearby Words

ratiomotor
ration
rational
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ration. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

ration

1 of 2 noun
ra·​tion ˈrash-ən How to pronounce ration (audio) ˈrā-shən How to pronounce ration (audio)
1
a
: a food allowance for one day
b
plural : provision entry 1 sense 2
2
: the amount one is allowed by authority

ration

2 of 2 verb
rationed; rationing ˈrash-(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce ration (audio)
ˈrāsh-
1
: to control the amount one can use
during the war the government rationed gasoline
2
: to use sparingly
ration your water on the hike

Medical Definition

ration

1 of 2 noun
ra·​tion ˈrash-ən How to pronounce ration (audio) ˈrā-shən How to pronounce ration (audio)
: a food allowance for one day

ration

2 of 2 transitive verb
rationed; rationing ˈrash-(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce ration (audio) ˈrāsh- How to pronounce ration (audio)
: to supply with or put on rations

More from Merriam-Webster on ration

Nglish: Translation of ration for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of mitigate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All