disproportionate
Americanadjective
adjective
verb
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
- disproportionately adverb
- disproportionateness noun
Etymology
Origin of disproportionate
First recorded in 1544–55; dis- 1 + proportionate
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.
"What happened next was completely disproportionate," he wrote.
From BBC
A disproportionate share of them will be children.
From Salon
Although goods represent a smaller share of consumer price baskets, they account for a disproportionate share of inflation volatility.
From MarketWatch
"Given the disproportionate engagement, our algorithms presume that users like that content and want more of it," the study says.
From BBC
Meanwhile, more visually appealing insect groups such as butterflies and dragonflies receive a disproportionate share of conservation protections.
From Science Daily
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.
