different between portion vs minimum

English

Etymology

From Middle English porcioun, borrowed from Old French porcion, from Latin portio (“a share, part, portion, relation, proportion”), akin to pars (“part”); see part. Compare proportion.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?p????n/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?p????n/
• (Scotland, Ireland, other varieties without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /?po????n/, /?po????n/, /?po???n/
• Rhymes: -??(?)??n

Noun

portion (plural portions)

1. An allocated amount.
2. That which is divided off or separated, as a part from a whole; a separated part of anything.
3. One's fate; lot.
   • Man's portion is to die and rise again.

4. The part of an estate given or falling to a child or heir; an inheritance.
5. A wife's fortune; a dowry.
   • 1613, William Shakespeare, The Two Noble Kinsmen, 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
• underportion

Translations

Verb

portion (third-person singular simple present portions, present participle portioning, simple past and past participle portioned)

1. (transitive) To divide into amounts, as for allocation to specific purposes.
2. (transitive) To endow with a portion or inheritance.
   • 1733, Alexander Pope, Epistle to Bathurst

     Him portioned maids, apprenticed orphans, blest.

Translations

Usage notes

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

Synonyms

• apportion
• divide, divide up
• divvy, divvy up

Derived terms

• portion off
• portion out

Further reading

• portion in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• portion in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin portionem (accusative singular of portio).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p??.sj??/

Noun

portion f (plural portions)

1. portion

Descendants

• ? Turkish: porsiyon

Further reading

• “portion” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• potiron

Interlingua

Noun

portion (plural portiones)

1. portion

Swedish

Pronunciation

Noun

portion c

1. serving, an helping of food

Declension

Related terms

• portionera

English

Etymology

From Latin minimum, neuter form of minimus (“least, smallest”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m?n.?.m?m/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?m?n.?.m?m/

Noun

minimum (plural minima or minimums)

1. The lowest limit.

   We prefer candidates with a minimum of 4 years experience in the field.

   We need a minimum of three staff members on duty at all time.

2. The smallest amount.

   He always tries to get away with doing the minimum.

   Please keep noise to a minimum after 11 o'clock

3. (astronomy) A period of minimum brightness or energy intensity (of a star).

4. (mathematical analysis) A lower bound of a set which is also an element of that set.
5. (statistics) The smallest member of a batch or sample or the lower bound of a probability distribution.
6. the mandatory drink you're supposed to order in a bar or pub

Usage notes

• Minima is more common plural for the technical senses.

Antonyms

• maximum

Hypernyms

• (statistics): measure of location
• extremum

Derived terms

Related terms

• minimal
• minimize, minimise

Translations

Adjective

minimum (not comparable)

1. To the lowest degree.

Synonyms

• minimal

Translations

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?m?n?mum]

Noun

minimum n

1. minimum

   Antonym: maximum

Declension

Related terms

• See minus
• minimalismus
• minimalista
• minimalizace
• minimalizovat
• minimální

Further reading

• minimum in P?íru?ní slovník jazyka ?eského, 1935–1957
• minimum in Slovník spisovného jazyka ?eského, 1960–1971, 1989

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin minimum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?mi.ni?m?m/
• Hyphenation: mi?ni?mum

Noun

minimum n (plural minima)

1. minimum

Derived terms

• bestaansminimum
• minimumleeftijd
• minimumloon

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mi.ni.m?m/
• Rhymes: -?m
• Homophone: minimums

Noun

minimum m (plural minima)

1. minimum

Usage notes

• The 1990 spelling reform recommends that the plural of minimum should be minimums.

Derived terms

• au minimum
• minimum syndical
• salaire minimum

Further reading

• “minimum” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Latin

Adjective

minimum

1. accusative masculine singular of minimus
2. nominative neuter singular of minimus
3. accusative neuter singular of minimus
4. vocative neuter singular of minimus

References

• minimum in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• minimum in Ramminger, Johann (accessed 16 July 2016) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700?^[2], pre-publication website, 2005-2016

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Latin minimum

Noun

minimum n (definite singular minimumet, indefinite plural minima or minimumer, definite plural minimaene or minimuma or minimumene)

1. minimum

Antonyms

• maksimum

Derived terms

• minimumskrav

References

• “minimum” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Latin minimum

Noun

minimum n (definite singular minimumet, indefinite plural minimum, definite plural minimuma)

1. minimum

Antonyms

• maksimum

Derived terms

• minimumskrav

References

• “minimum” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Polish

Etymology

From Latin minimum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?i.?i.mum/

Adverb

minimum (not comparable)

1. at least

   Synonym: co najmniej

Noun

minimum n

1. minimum

   Antonym: maksimum

Declension

Further reading

• minimum in Wielki s?ownik j?zyka polskiego, Instytut J?zyka Polskiego PAN
• minimum in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

From Latin minimum

Noun

minimum n (uncountable)

1. minimum

Declension

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /m?nimum/
• Hyphenation: mi?ni?mum

Noun

mìnimum m (Cyrillic spelling ???????)

1. minimum

Declension

Swedish

Noun

minimum n

1. minimum

Declension