disproportionate

[dis-pruh-pawr-shuh-nit]

adjective

1. not proportionate; out of proportion, as in size or number.

disproportionate

adjective

1. out of proportion; unequal

verb

1. chem to undergo or cause to undergo disproportionation

Other Word Forms

• disproportionately adverb
• disproportionateness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of disproportionate¹

First recorded in 1544–55; dis- ¹ + proportionate

Example Sentences

But there is still a "disproportionate" number of disadvantaged children, he said, particularly pupils with special educational needs and disabilities missing their lessons too often.

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These dynamics leave crucial decisions in the hands of a few advisory firms that wield disproportionate influence over the trajectory of corporations while operating with minimal accountability.

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"The density of migratory warblers, flycatchers, and vireos crowded into these five forests is astounding, and means that each hectare protected there safeguards a disproportionate number of birds."

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Why, his inquisitor demanded, had Dillon, Read taken a disproportionate share of the profit from the funds it managed for the public?

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His attorney said the sentence is "completely disproportionate to the offence" and that he will appeal.

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Related Words

• excessive 
• inordinate 
• superfluous 
• unequal 
• unreasonable 

When To Use

What does disproportionate mean?

Disproportionate means uneven or out of balance with something in terms of size, ratio, degree, or extent.Disproportionate is the opposite of proportionate. Proportionate is the adjective form of the noun proportion, which refers to the relative size of two or more things. When something is described as disproportionate to something else, it means they are somehow unevenly matched.Example: The military response—striking a dozen different sites with missiles—has been criticized as disproportionate to the act that supposedly provoked it—a single plane briefly entering a no-fly zone.