lion's share

American  

noun

1. the largest part or share, especially a disproportionate portion.

   The eldest son received the lion's share of the estate.

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lion's share Cultural  

1. A disproportionately large segment of the whole: “Though we always divided our winnings, somehow Barton always seemed to end up with the lion's share.”

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lion's share Idioms  

1. The greater part or most of something, as in Whenever they won a doubles match, Ethel claimed the lion's share of the credit, or As usual, Uncle Bob took the lion's share of the cake. This expression alludes to Aesop's fable about a lion, who got all of a kill because its fellow hunters, an ass, fox, and wolf, were afraid to claim their share. [Late 1700s]

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Etymology

Origin of lion's share

First recorded in 1780–90; probably after Aesop's fable in which the lion claimed all the spoils of a hunt

Example Sentences

The lion’s share of the cuts begin to take effect on July 1, 2027.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026

And while the lion’s share of earnings growth is from big tech companies, they aren’t the only ones posting solid results.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

The donations accounted for the lion's share of the £9.3m in private donations declared by Reform during the period, and around a third of the £20.7m total declared by all parties.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

“The lion’s share of the gains has been in the technology sector,” Bespoke said, with tech soaring more than 45% since March 30 through Monday.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

Jefferson had blamed the Federalists for the lion’s share of the party mischief.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis