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Portion vs Constituent - What's the difference?

portion | constituent | Related terms |

Portion is a related term of constituent.


As nouns the difference between portion and constituent

is that portion is portion while constituent is a part, or component of a whole.

As an adjective constituent is

being a part, or component of a whole.

portion

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • An allocated amount.
  • That which is divided off or separated, as a part from a whole; a separated part of anything.
  • One's fate; lot.
  • * Bible, Luke xii. 46
  • The lord of that servant will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
  • * Keble
  • Man's portion is to die and rise again.
  • The part of an estate given or falling to a child or heir; an inheritance.
  • * Bible, Luke xv. 12
  • Give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.
  • A wife's fortune; a dowry.
  • * 1613 , , V. iv. 31:
  • Commend me to her, and to piece her portion / Tender her this.

    Usage notes

    Relatively formal, compared to the more informal part or more concrete and casual piece. For example, “part of the money” (both informal) but “portion of the proceeds” (both formal).

    Synonyms

    * part * piece

    Derived terms

    * portionless * proportion

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To divide into amounts, as for allocation to specific purposes.
  • To endow with a portion or inheritance.
  • Him portioned maids, apprenticed orphans, blest. — Alexander Pope.

    Usage notes

    * Particularly used as portion out. * Relatively formal, compared to the more informal divide, divide up, or the casual divvy, divvy up.

    Synonyms

    * divide, divide up * divvy, divvy up

    Derived terms

    * portion off * portion out

    constituent

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • being a part, or component of a whole
  • * Dryden
  • Body, soul, and reason are the three parts necessarily constituent of a man.
  • authorized to make a constitution
  • * Junius
  • A question of right arises between the constituent and representative body.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • a part, or component of a whole
  • * Tyndall
  • We know how to bring these constituents together, and to cause them to form water.
  • The person or thing which constitutes, determines, or constructs.
  • * Sir M. Hale
  • Their first composure and origination require a higher and nobler constituent than chance.
  • A resident of a place represented by an elected official.
  • * Macaulay
  • To appeal from the representatives to the constituents .
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2012 , date=April 19 , author=Josh Halliday , title=Free speech haven or lawless cesspool – can the internet be civilised? , work=the Guardian citation , page= , passage=But the purported rise in violent videos online has led some MPs to campaign for courts to have more power to remove or block material on YouTube. The Labour MP Heidi Alexander said she was appalled after a constituent was robbed at knifepoint, and the attackers could be found brandishing weapons and rapping about gang violence online.}}
  • (legal) One who appoints another to act for him as attorney in fact.
  • (Burrill)
  • (grammar) A functional element of a phrase or clause.
  • *
  • Thus, the postulation of a Noun Phrase'' constituent is justified on morphological grounds, since it is not obvious how we could describe the grammar of the genitive 's inflection in English without saying that it's a ''Noun Phrase inflection.

    See also

    *