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

With its focus on cutting-edge technology, it consumes the lion's share of the national intelligence budget.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

The lion’s share of his menu drawings were completed in the two to three hours that he spent enjoying his meal and conversing with his dining companions.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

The U.S. now produces the lion’s share of pistachios globally — despite their relative newness for American farmers.

From Salon • May 6, 2026

The industry remains a key end market for companies like Infineon as its automotive business still accounts for the lion’s share of sales.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

Berkeley attracted the most promising young graduate students, hosted the most eminent visiting lecturers, pocketed the largest contributions from research foundations and garnered the lion’s share of public interest and acclaim.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik