portion 1 of 2

portion

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word portion distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of portion are destiny, doom, fate, and lot. While all these words mean "a predetermined state or end," portion implies the apportioning of good and evil.

remorse was his daily portion

When might destiny be a better fit than portion?

The synonyms destiny and portion are sometimes interchangeable, but destiny implies something foreordained and often suggests a great or noble course or end.

the country's destiny to be a model of liberty to the world

In what contexts can doom take the place of portion?

Although the words doom and portion have much in common, doom distinctly implies a grim or calamitous fate.

if the rebellion fails, his doom is certain

When could fate be used to replace portion?

The meanings of fate and portion largely overlap; however, fate implies an inevitable and usually an adverse outcome.

the fate of the submarine is unknown

How are the words lot and portion related?

Both lot and portion imply a distribution by fate or destiny, lot suggesting blind chance.

it was her lot to die childless

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of portion
Noun
Nicola, who hails from Grain Valley and represents portions of the Kansas City-area in the state Senate, did not return a call and text message seeking comment for this story. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 25 Apr. 2025 Colorado’s collared gray wolves continued to travel widely last month — even roaming in watersheds that reach into the western portions of metro Denver, according to a new map released this week by state wildlife officials. Katie Langford, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
And what better way to tell them than portioning them out over several episodes? Keith Phipps, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025 Consider portioning snacks, like chips, pretzels or popcorn into smaller containers. Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for portion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portion
Noun
  • While Bryson has always had Jamar around for advice and guidance, the elder Nesbit has seen his son take control of his destiny.
    Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 14 Apr. 2025
  • If the small distance between the white dwarfs wasn't evidence enough of their doomed destiny, their combined mass certainly sealed their fate.
    Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Containment is part of a larger plan for managing a wildfire.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Their appeal is one of three religious rights cases the Supreme Court is deciding in the coming weeks, and could be part of a recent trend of the court siding with religious rights advocates.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • All 20 clubs earn an equal share of £86.9million ($115.8m) through domestic and international broadcasting rights and a further £8.2m via commercial income.
    Andy Jones, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Hassabis, for his part, won a share of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on Alphafold—an AI system that can predict the 3D structures of proteins, and which has turbocharged biomedical research.
    Billy Perrigo, Time, 27 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Device now holds more than 2,500 retail accounts and distributes its beer from Bakersfield to Southern Oregon, according to its website.
    Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 26 Apr. 2025
  • That strategy drew a furious response from some of the city’s employee unions, who distributed posters comparing Villaraigosa to Wisconsin’s then-Gov. Scott Walker, viewed at that time as a strident foe of organized labor.
    David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • As the dust settles on season 1 of the series, the fate of Double K is still up in the air.
    Francesca Gariano, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Their first trial ended in a mistrial, when jurors couldn't agree on their fate.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Thanks everyone for reading, and especially to all of you who argued your favorite team’s case in a way that made the comment section slightly less of a trainwreck than other comment sections.
    Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Instagram comment sections are flooded with hearts and flowers; the media memorializes a tragedy.
    Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Regardless of China’s choice, a greater proportion of U.S. conventional forces would be left to respond.
    ANDREW S. LIM, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Most of the apartment’s large prewar proportions remain the same, though the galley kitchen has been updated.
    Nick Caruso, TVLine, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Some parents aren't comfortable with the practice, while others don't hesitate to dispense kisses.
    Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Minnelli is 79 and will still be 79 when the Grammys are dispensed early next year.
    Paul Grein, Billboard, 17 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Portion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portion. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.

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