proportion
Americannoun
-
proportions
plural
-
comparative relation between things or magnitudes as to size, quantity, number, etc.; ratio.
- Synonyms:
- comparison
-
proper relation between things or parts.
to have tastes way out of proportion to one's financial means.
-
relative size or extent.
-
proportions, dimensions or size.
a rock of gigantic proportions.
-
a portion or part in its relation to the whole.
A large proportion of the debt remains.
- Synonyms:
- share
-
symmetry, harmony, or balance.
an architect with a sense of proportion.
- Synonyms:
- arrangement, distribution
-
the significance of a thing or event that an objective view reveals.
You must try to see these mishaps in proportion.
-
Mathematics. a relation of four quantities such that the first divided by the second is equal to the third divided by the fourth; the equality of ratios.
-
Archaic. analogy; comparison.
noun
-
the relationship between different things or parts with respect to comparative size, number, or degree; relative magnitude or extent; ratio
-
the correct or desirable relationship between parts of a whole; balance or symmetry
-
a part considered with respect to the whole
-
(plural) dimensions or size
a building of vast proportions
-
a share, part, or quota
-
maths a relationship that maintains a constant ratio between two variable quantities
x increases in direct proportion to y
-
maths a relationship between four numbers or quantities in which the ratio of the first pair equals the ratio of the second pair
verb
-
to adjust in relative amount, size, etc
-
to cause to be harmonious in relationship of parts
Synonym Usage
See symmetry.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
misproportionnoun
-
proportionabilitynoun
-
proportionernoun
-
proportionmentnoun
-
superproportionnoun
-
reproportionverb (used with object)
-
proportionableadjective
-
proportionlessadjective
-
proportionablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
proportionsimple
-
proportionssimple
-
have proportionedperfect
-
has proportionedperfect
-
am proportioningprogressive
-
are proportioningprogressive
-
is proportioningprogressive
-
have been proportioningperfect progressive
-
has been proportioningperfect progressive
Past
-
proportionedsimple
-
had proportionedperfect
-
was proportioningprogressive
-
were proportioningprogressive
-
had been proportioningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of proportion
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English proporcio(u)n from Latin prōportiōn-, stem of prōportiō “symmetry, analogy”; equivalent to pro- 1 + portion
Explanation
Proportion is about balance and how things fit together harmoniously. For example "That hound dog's tiny legs look out of proportion to that big fat body." The prefix comes from the Latin pro meaning "on behalf of, for." If you're Proportion likes portions, and for them to be the right size. The cake's sweetness is in direct proportion to how much sugar you put in. It's a compliment to tell someone he or she has just the right proportions, but you might get slapped. It can also be a part of something, as in a significant proportion of our student body has dyed their hair purple.
Vocabulary lists containing proportion
"Fears and Phobias," Vocabulary from the article
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
On Your Mark, Get Set, Commence Your Life!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Articles of Confederation (1777)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Even in 2031 you'll be able to take home a bigger proportion of your earnings before income tax than you could back in 2008.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
So, as your pay rises, a bigger proportion of it ends up above the threshold where you start to pay tax.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
The proportion of spoiled and blank votes also decreased.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
The comparable proportion since then is just 30%.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 25, 2026
Nova Scotia orchard- ists who are following Dr. Pickett’s modified spray program are producing as high a proportion of first-grade fruit as are those who are using intensive chemical applications.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
The most sharply etched genres achieve their proportions by way of just a few seminal examples.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Because stars and their surrounding disks originate from the same cloud of material, scientists have long assumed that they contain similar proportions of rock-forming elements.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
The main residence makes a dramatic first impression with its Mediterranean-inspired architecture and grand proportions.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
“If there’s anything tumultuous happening now . . . I wouldn’t know, I haven’t been paying attention,” she jokes, “just remember that historically, an enlightenment of epic proportions is probably not far off.”
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
A snore of kingly proportions rumbles from the bedroom.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
He’s a ridiculously proportioned savant who dribbles like a point guard, blocks shots like a center and puts up stat lines matched only by Hall-of-Famers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2025
And then there are the paintings and canvases, too small and oddly proportioned compared to the wall.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2025
A classically proportioned drama about the building of the American West, mostly seen from the eyes of one logger, that approaches the quiet grandeur of a Terrence Malick movie?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2025
Rick Owens mixed gothic elements with a touch of the bizarre, featuring oversized rubber boots that Owens himself described as outlandishly proportioned.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 21, 2024
He had the elegant sort of curved nose you saw in statues and paintings, and his nostrils were perfectly proportioned.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
In addition to proportioning congressional seats, census results are also used to distribute federal funds and within each state to redraw congressional, legislative and local election district lines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
If you were of the Larkin persuasion – that it was all downhill from Charlie Parker onwards – the proportioning might have been music to your ears.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 6, 2014
In the 1924 election they were mystified by the so-called scrutin de liste, a well meant but inexplicable procedure which was supposed to ensure by mathematical proportioning a greater representation of minority groups in Parliament.
From Time Magazine Archive
He devoted his attention simply to taking the enormously dramatic life of his subject, proportioning it justly, and letting it go its own exciting way in the theatre.
From Time Magazine Archive
The very necessary proportioning and emphasizing mean, as we shall see, that the dramatist selects, and again selects.
From Dramatic Technique by George Pierce Baker
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
