proportion
Americannoun
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proportions
plural
-
comparative relation between things or magnitudes as to size, quantity, number, etc.; ratio.
- Synonyms:
- comparison
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proper relation between things or parts.
to have tastes way out of proportion to one's financial means.
-
relative size or extent.
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proportions, dimensions or size.
a rock of gigantic proportions.
-
a portion or part in its relation to the whole.
A large proportion of the debt remains.
- Synonyms:
- share
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symmetry, harmony, or balance.
an architect with a sense of proportion.
- Synonyms:
- arrangement, distribution
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the significance of a thing or event that an objective view reveals.
You must try to see these mishaps in proportion.
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Mathematics. a relation of four quantities such that the first divided by the second is equal to the third divided by the fourth; the equality of ratios.
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Archaic. analogy; comparison.
noun
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the relationship between different things or parts with respect to comparative size, number, or degree; relative magnitude or extent; ratio
-
the correct or desirable relationship between parts of a whole; balance or symmetry
-
a part considered with respect to the whole
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(plural) dimensions or size
a building of vast proportions
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a share, part, or quota
-
maths a relationship that maintains a constant ratio between two variable quantities
x increases in direct proportion to y
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maths a relationship between four numbers or quantities in which the ratio of the first pair equals the ratio of the second pair
verb
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to adjust in relative amount, size, etc
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to cause to be harmonious in relationship of parts
Synonym Usage
See symmetry.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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misproportionnoun
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proportionabilitynoun
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proportionernoun
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proportionmentnoun
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superproportionnoun
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reproportionverb (used with object)
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proportionableadjective
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proportionlessadjective
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proportionablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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proportionsimple
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proportionssimple
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have proportionedperfect
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has proportionedperfect
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am proportioningprogressive
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are proportioningprogressive
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is proportioningprogressive
-
have been proportioningperfect progressive
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has been proportioningperfect progressive
Past
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proportionedsimple
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had proportionedperfect
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was proportioningprogressive
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were proportioningprogressive
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had been proportioningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of proportion
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English proporcio(u)n from Latin prōportiōn-, stem of prōportiō “symmetry, analogy”; equivalent to pro- 1 + portion
Explanation
Proportion is about balance and how things fit together harmoniously. For example "That hound dog's tiny legs look out of proportion to that big fat body." The prefix comes from the Latin pro meaning "on behalf of, for." If you're Proportion likes portions, and for them to be the right size. The cake's sweetness is in direct proportion to how much sugar you put in. It's a compliment to tell someone he or she has just the right proportions, but you might get slapped. It can also be a part of something, as in a significant proportion of our student body has dyed their hair purple.
Vocabulary lists containing proportion
"Fears and Phobias," Vocabulary from the article
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On Your Mark, Get Set, Commence Your Life!
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The Articles of Confederation (1777)
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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.
See Examples For:
The employment rate, or the proportion of the working-age population that is employed, declined slightly to 60.5% from 60.6%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
“A print, a color, a way of dressing, or a certain body proportion can trigger a memory.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
Using those additional criteria, the estimated proportion of Americans classified as having obesity rises to 75%.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026
Sgt Dave Catlow from the National Business Crime Centre is overseeing a clampdown on tool theft and said organised crime groups were responsible for a large proportion.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Her interest in the proceedings of the meetings increased in direct proportion to her proximity to them.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
But three centuries after it was nearly destroyed by a flood of biblical proportions, vultures now roost in its ruined steeples.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
The most sharply etched genres achieve their proportions by way of just a few seminal examples.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
The results showed that its limb proportions closely resembled those of modern ground-dwelling birds and certain other prehistoric dinosaurs closely related to birds.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026
The main residence makes a dramatic first impression with its Mediterranean-inspired architecture and grand proportions.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
Its proportions are too chunky, too broad of beam, too crudely hewn.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
Inside Ball’s former Charlotte residence, soaring ceilings and expansive windows create an open atmosphere, allowing natural light to flow throughout the home’s generously proportioned living spaces.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
He’s a ridiculously proportioned savant who dribbles like a point guard, blocks shots like a center and puts up stat lines matched only by Hall-of-Famers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2025
And then there are the paintings and canvases, too small and oddly proportioned compared to the wall.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2025
Named to honor the Ama freedivers — a 2,000-year-old tradition of predominantly women-led divers who gather pearls and seafood in Japan — the bestselling Lindquist Big Ama Bag is a perfectly proportioned shoulder-carry bucket tote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2025
Tall and solidly proportioned, he wears wire-rimmed glasses that give him a professorial demeanor.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
In addition to proportioning congressional seats, census results are also used to distribute federal funds and within each state to redraw congressional, legislative and local election district lines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
If you were of the Larkin persuasion – that it was all downhill from Charlie Parker onwards – the proportioning might have been music to your ears.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 6, 2014
Moreover, he possessed as a birthright that ultimate skepticism which is the proportioning power of true wisdom.
From Time Magazine Archive
In the 1924 election they were mystified by the so-called scrutin de liste, a well meant but inexplicable procedure which was supposed to ensure by mathematical proportioning a greater representation of minority groups in Parliament.
From Time Magazine Archive
British builders had, until after the introduction of these later types of vessels-of-war, been distinguished rather by the weight of their machinery than for nice calculation and proportioning of parts.
From A History of the Growth of the Steam-Engine by Robert H. Thurston
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