ration

[ rash-uhn, rey-shuhn ]

/ ˈræʃ ən, ˈreɪ ʃən /

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See synonyms for: ration / rationed / rationing / rations on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

an allotted amount: They finally saved up enough gas rations for the trip.

rations,

provisions: Enough rations were brought along to feed all the marchers.
Chiefly South Atlantic States. food or meals: The old hotel still has the best rations in town.

verb (used with object)

to supply, apportion, or distribute as rations (often followed by out): to ration out food to an army.

to supply or provide with rations: to ration an army with food.

to restrict the consumption of (a commodity, food, etc.): to ration meat during war.

to restrict the consumption of (a consumer): The civilian population was rationed while the war lasted.

OTHER WORDS FOR ration

1, 2 portion, allotment.

4 mete, dole, allot.

See synonyms for ration on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of ration

First recorded in 1540–50; from French, from Latin ratiōn- (stem of ratiō); see reason

synonym study for ration

1, 3. See food.

OTHER WORDS FROM ration

un·ra·tioned, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ration in a sentence

States have made attempts to replace those meals by sending rations or cash to families, albeit with varying degrees of success.
Schools in India have been closed since March. The costs to children are mounting.|Parth M.N., Joanna Slater, Niha Masih|December 30, 2020|Washington Post
So there’s the history of these really tightly controlled agricultural policies, as well as rations on food purchases, that continues into the early 1980s.
“He put QR-coded wristbands on each of the chickens”|Katie McLean|December 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review
The World Food Program, for all its plaudits, needs to be part of that kind of answer—not just an org chart plugging hungry mouths with emergency rations, but a force that helps rebalance this off-kilter system.
Why people still starve in an age of abundance|Bobbie Johnson|December 17, 2020|MIT Technology Review
You don’t have to rely on weird survival rations to make it through tough times.
How to stock your pantry to endure a long, uncertain winter|By Tim MacWelch/Outdoor Life|November 9, 2020|Popular-Science

At one point, she wrote, she lived on tiny squares of chocolate and self-rationed corn flakes.
Isabelle Caro: Anorexic Model Dies, Her Mother Commits Suicide. How Should the Fashion Industry Respond?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|February 7, 2011|DAILY BEAST
If rationed carefully and traveling at maximum speed, I might even cover a good amount of nearby land.
The Extinction Parade: An Original Zombie Story by Max Brooks|Max Brooks|January 14, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Food was strictly rationed and curfews deadened the late nights.
Great New Reads|The Daily Beast|October 31, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Recently she made headlines by attacking a provision in Obama's stimulus plan that she said would lead to rationed health care.
The Woman Who Killed Health Care|Benjamin Sarlin|May 15, 2009|DAILY BEAST
During the 1930s and up until the end of World War II, many families subsisted on bread and very little meat (sometimes rationed).
The Ultimate Recession Food|Emily Farris|December 8, 2008|DAILY BEAST
Rasyunan ang túbig sa tinghuwaw, Water is rationed during droughts.
A Dictionary of Cebuano Visayan|John U. Wolff
When his carefully rationed sleep periods eventually came around, he was more than ready for them, and slept like a log.
Gone Fishing|James H. Schmitz
After an exciting and tiring day we reach a village and having seen the crews rationed, pitch our tents.
A Journal of a Tour in the Congo Free State|Marcus Dorman
Well, she's rationed us—that's one good thing—and father really doesn't guess!
Elizabeth's Campaign|Mrs. Humphrey Ward
Luckily he cared nothing at all about food—though he refused to be rationed by a despotic Government.
Elizabeth's Campaign|Mrs. Humphrey Ward

British Dictionary definitions for ration

ration

/ (ˈræʃən) /

noun

a fixed allowance of food, provisions, etc, esp a statutory one for civilians in time of scarcity or soldiers in time of wara tea ration
(as modifier)a ration book

a sufficient or adequate amountyou've had your ration of television for today

verb (tr)

(often foll by out) to distribute (provisions), esp to an army

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

Word Origin for ration

C18: via French from Latin ratiō calculation; see reason

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ration

OTHER WORDS FOR ration

Origin of ration

synonym study for ration

OTHER WORDS FROM ration

Words related to ration

How to use ration in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ration

Word Origin for ration