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.

---

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.”

---

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]

---

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

"We expect the lion's share of the world's patented pharmaceuticals to be building in America," the official said.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

The New Yorker has estimated the family’s total profiteering to be worth around $4 billion, with the lion’s share coming from the Gulf monarchies.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026

The U.S. will supply the lion’s share of the release, more than 100 million of the 400 million barrels, according to people familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

It was Texas, and contested primary races for a US Senate seat, that attracted the lion's share of the attention.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

The stakes were huge: Whoever won ten games first would capture the lion’s share of the prize money and secure the “championship.”

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady