disproportionate

American  

[dis-pruh-pawr-shuh-nit] / ˌdɪs prəˈpɔr ʃə nɪt /

adjective

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

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disproportionate British  

adjective

1. out of proportion; unequal

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verb

1. chem to undergo or cause to undergo disproportionation

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

But hiring was concentrated in education and health services, a field responsible for a disproportionate share of recent U.S. job creation and which added 58,000 net jobs in March.

From The Wall Street Journal

But in a report published on Tuesday, the body representing police chiefs will say their use has become disproportionate in recent years, and the definition should be redrawn to reflect the social media age.

From BBC

China doesn’t get the disproportionate increase in the quota it wants in this deal.

From The Wall Street Journal

The patriarchate said it had followed all "imposed restrictions" and acted responsibly since the war began, adding that Sunday's decision was "a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure".

From BBC

A disproportionate chunk of stocks’ gains are front loaded.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• excessive
• inordinate
• superfluous
• unequal
• unreasonable