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

By virtue of the Pentagon investigation, as well as rumors of his presidential ambitions, Kelly has received the lion’s share of attention.

From Salon

That means the lion’s share of the season’s headline growth will be driven by price increases rather than the purchase of additional units, reflecting some of the underlying weakness of this year’s sales.

From Barron's

That means the lion’s share of the season’s headline growth will be driven by price increases rather than the purchase of additional units, reflecting some of the underlying weakness of this year’s sales.

From Barron's

“These are our most engaged customers that generate the lion’s share of our revenue,” he said in an interview.

From The Wall Street Journal

Finally, what if the legal conclusions and policy pronouncements are simply wrong, as the lion’s share of the expert commentary about the boat strikes concludes?

From Slate