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
Etymology
Origin of disproportionate
First recorded in 1544–55; dis- 1 + proportionate
Explanation
If three friends are out having dinner, and one disappears when the check comes, the remaining two end up paying a disproportionate share of the bill. Whenever anything is out of proportion — either too large or too small — it's disproportionate. If you live in New York or Los Angeles or another very expensive city, you probably spend a disproportionate amount of your income on housing — meaning you pay more than you'd expect. If you have a sweet deal somewhere and pay very little in rent, it's still disproportionate — only this time it's less than you'd expect.
Vocabulary lists containing disproportionate
Power Prefix: dis-
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President Trump's Second State of the Union Address (2019)
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President Trump's First Address to the United Nations General Assembly (2017)
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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.
A disproportionate share of those jobs are remote-friendly, white-collar roles like customer-service reps, software developers and data specialists.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
“We oftentimes hear people say, ‘Well, they end up paying a disproportionate share of the state’s taxes,’ which is true, but they also have a disproportionate share of the state’s wealth.”
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
“SREs simply prevent disproportionate harm,” the Small Refineries of America, a group representing roughly 30 smaller oil refiners, said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
“We believe the Arm instruction set will capture a disproportionate segment of this growth and reach ~40-45% share of total units by 2030,” Arcuri wrote.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
“Massachusetts Board of Education bans disproportionate punishment. But it still happens. Even in private, independent schools like Middlefield Prep.”
From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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.
