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.
"Their fame is not commensurate to their athletic talents."
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
In a podcast in May, Uber Chief Operating Officer Andrew MacDonald said the company had not seen productivity gains commensurate with its spending on AI.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2026
U.S. weekly exports of jet fuel hit a record 455,000 barrels in recent weeks, and there has been a commensurate increase in U.S. jet-fuel production.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026
How can that be when Advantage’s share of spending is commensurate with its share of beneficiaries?
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
In interviews here, my previous findings were confirmed: with the exception of those trained in professions where they can set up independent practice, they can find jobs commensurate with their education only outside the South.
From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin
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.
