commensurate
Americanadjective
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corresponding in amount, magnitude, or degree.
Your paycheck should be commensurate with the amount of time worked.
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proportionate; adequate.
a solution commensurate to the seriousness of the problem.
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having the same measure; of equal extent or duration.
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having a common measure or divisor; commensurable.
adjective
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having the same extent or duration
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corresponding in degree, amount, or size; proportionate
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able to be measured by a common standard; commensurable
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of commensurate
1635–45; < Late Latin commēnsūrātus, equivalent to Latin com- com- + mēnsūrātus (past participle of mēnsūrāre to measure ); see -ate 1
Explanation
The word commensurate has to do with things that are similar in size and therefore appropriate. Many people think the death penalty is a commensurate punishment for murder. In other words, the penalty fits the crime. When things are commensurate, they're fair, appropriate, and the right size. If you got a ticket for jaywalking, you shouldn't get ten years in prison — that penalty is not commensurate with the crime. The word commensurate is usually followed by with or to; one thing is commensurate with or to another.
Vocabulary lists containing commensurate
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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The Great Gatsby
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Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
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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.
Employment did not fall in any measure commensurate with the price increases.
From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026
Last month, UBS analyst Jay Sole argued that investors weren’t fully appreciating the positive impact AI will have on retailers, as he sees it increasing sales without a commensurate rise in costs.
From Barron's • May 12, 2026
But it is unclear whether AI can generate returns commensurate with its costs—a worrisome issue for investors.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
The basic idea is these computers are now advancing technology and processing time and speed at an arc that is not commensurate with the arc of technological advancement over the past 100 years.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
“There will also be a commensurate punishment —although I haven’t yet decided quite what that will be. I’ll inform you by the end of the day, Gene.”
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
