The idiomatic meaning of "the lion's share" refers to the largest portion or overwhelming majority of something. It signifies an unequal distribution where one person or entity receives a disproportionately large amount compared to others. The phrase doesn't refer to an actual lion or an animal in the literal sense.
The origin of the phrase likely stems from Aesop's fables or similar folk tales where a lion, due to its strength and dominance, claims the largest part of a hunt or spoils. The expression has been used in English since at least the 17th century.
The register is generally neutral, suitable for both formal and informal contexts, though it can occasionally sound slightly old-fashioned depending on the audience.
"The lion's share" functions as a noun phrase. It's typically used as the subject or object of a sentence. It can be modified by adjectives (e.g., "the overwhelming lion's share") or used with prepositions (e.g., "take the lion's share of"). You can't really negate it directly, but you can rephrase the sentence to indicate that someone doesn't get the lion's share.
It sounds unnatural to use "the lion's share" in contexts where a literal, equal division is expected or intended. Also, avoid using it in situations where the disparity isn't significant; it implies a clear and substantial imbalance.
These examples are sourced from the lion's share on Ludwig.guru.
"That's the lion's share." — Los Angeles Times
"And soccer gets the lion's share." — The New York Times
"Afghanistan continues to produce the lion's share." — The Economist
"Roads, ports and electricity projects account for the lion's share." — The Economist
"Europe is consuming the lion's share of the IMF's resources." — The Economist
Examples sourced from https://ludwig.guru/s/the+lion's+share
| Phrase | Context |
|---|---|
| the majority | More formal and statistically focused. |
| the biggest part | Simple and straightforward; suitable for informal contexts. |
| the greater portion | Slightly more formal and emphasizes size. |
| most of it | General and versatile; can be used in many situations. |
| the bulk | Emphasizes the substantial size or volume. |
| a large chunk | Informal and suggests a significant but not necessarily dominant portion. |
| the lion's portion | Almost synonymous, but may sound slightly redundant. |
| Expression | Idiomatic Meaning | Register | Avoid In |
|---|---|---|---|
| the lion's share | The largest or overwhelming portion | Neutral | Situations requiring equal distribution, literal animal contexts |
"The lion's share" is almost always used figuratively to describe the largest portion of something. While theoretically possible to use it literally in a fictional context involving a lion dividing something, it's overwhelmingly used as an idiomatic expression.
While both phrases indicate a large portion, "the lion's share" emphasizes a disproportionate share, suggesting one entity receives significantly more than others. "The majority," on the other hand, simply means more than half, without necessarily implying such a large imbalance. Therefore, the lion's share is more emphatic.
Remember that "the lion's share" is an idiom, not a literal reference to lions. If you're describing a situation where something is being divided equally or where animals are literally dividing something, don't use this phrase. Instead, reserve it for scenarios where one party clearly receives the largest portion.
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