proportionally

American  

[pruh-pawr-shuh-nuhl-ee] / prəˈpɔr ʃə nəl i /

adverb

1. in a way or to an extent that maintains proportion relative to something else.

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Explanation

Use the adverb proportionally when you're comparing the size or amount of one thing to another. If there’s a park on every block where you live, your town has proportionally more public parks than the average town of its size. The US Congress is proportionally representative, so states with more people get more representatives. In other words, each state gets a number of representatives that corresponds to its population. The adverb proportionally comes from its related adjective, proportional and noun proportion. Both words have a Latin root, proportionem, which means "comparative relation or analogy" and stems from the phrase pro portione, or "according to the relation of parts to each other."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

proportionally

As more content must be checked, both the processing time and energy requirements can rise proportionally.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026

The study found that depression and anxiety increased proportionally with deprivation levels.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

Delaying Social Security until 70 results in an increased monthly payment — and that comes with proportionally higher cost-of-living adjustments.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026

That’s actually not a lot of speechifying if you look at it proportionally.

From Salon ● May 28, 2026

The Obsidian Kings end up winning, and the tally over the White Sharks disappears, divided and paid proportionally among the winning gamblers.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu