Rationing
/ˈræʃ.ən.ɪŋ/noun
The controlled distribution of limited goods, especially by official restriction.
Did you know?Rationing descends from Latin ratio, meaning “reckoning, calculation, reason,” so the word’s deepest root is about measured judgment, not scarcity alone.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*reh₁-ti-
“reckoning, count, calculation”
Latin
Latin
ratio
“a reckoning, account, calculation; also reason, judgment”
Late Latin
Latin
rationare
“to calculate, provide with an account”
Old French
Old French
ration
“a fixed allowance or portion”
Middle English
English
racioun / ration
“an allotted share or portion”
Modern English
English
rationing
“the system of limiting and distributing supplies by fixed allowances”
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