ration
Americannoun
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a fixed allowance of provisions or food, especially for soldiers or sailors or for civilians during a shortage.
a daily ration of meat and bread.
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an allotted amount.
They finally saved up enough gas rations for the trip.
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rations,
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provisions.
Enough rations were brought along to feed all the marchers.
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Chiefly South Atlantic States. food or meals.
The old hotel still has the best rations in town.
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verb (used with object)
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to supply, apportion, or distribute as rations (often followed byout ).
to ration out food to an army.
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to supply or provide with rations.
to ration an army with food.
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to restrict the consumption of (a commodity, food, etc.).
to ration meat during war.
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to restrict the consumption of (a consumer).
The civilian population was rationed while the war lasted.
noun
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a fixed allowance of food, provisions, etc, esp a statutory one for civilians in time of scarcity or soldiers in time of war
a tea ration
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( as modifier )
a ration book
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a sufficient or adequate amount
you've had your ration of television for today
verb
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(often foll by out) to distribute (provisions), esp to an army
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to restrict the distribution or consumption of (a commodity) by (people)
the government has rationed sugar
sugar is short, so I'll have to ration you
Synonym Usage
See food.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
rationsimple
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rationssimple
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have rationedperfect
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has rationedperfect
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am rationingprogressive
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are rationingprogressive
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is rationingprogressive
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have been rationingperfect progressive
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has been rationingperfect progressive
Past
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rationedsimple
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had rationedperfect
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was rationingprogressive
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were rationingprogressive
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had been rationingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ration
First recorded in 1540–50; from French, from Latin ratiōn- (stem of ratiō ); see reason
Explanation
When you ration your supplies, you dole them out a little at a time. A ration is also a wartime military meal, or the portion of food that someone is allowed in times of scarcity. A ration is the fixed portion of food or other goods allowed to each person in times of shortages. In the military, a soldier’s meal is called a ration, especially if it’s portable. As a verb, to ration something is to allow each person to have only a specific amount. During times of war many things have been rationed: gas, rubber, luxury items, and food. If you are diabetic, you need to strictly ration your sugar intake.
Vocabulary lists containing ration
The Diary of Anne Frank
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Several Catholic priests told the news agency they had been asked to ration the wafers, which are offered to the faithful as part of Mass.
From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026
Chevron also reconfigured its Asian refineries to make them yield more fuel as Asia faces a severe shortage and has been forced to ration oil products.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
The Atlantic Council has urged nations to ration scarce oil supplies to better manage an extended Strait of Hormuz closure.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
Rasoul Khalifeh Soltani, secretary of Iran’s Steel Producers Association, called on companies to ration their use of steel sheets for the next two months, according to Iranian state media.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026
We're herded into line to get our first bread ration, but one of the girls from my transport is late coming out.
From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
