proportion
Americannoun
-
proportions
plural
-
comparative relation between things or magnitudes as to size, quantity, number, etc.; ratio.
- Synonyms:
- comparison
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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
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symmetry, harmony, or balance.
an architect with a sense of proportion.
- Synonyms:
- arrangement, distribution
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the significance of a thing or event that an objective view reveals.
You must try to see these mishaps in proportion.
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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.
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Archaic. analogy; comparison.
noun
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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
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(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
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to adjust in relative amount, size, etc
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to cause to be harmonious in relationship of parts
Synonym Usage
See symmetry.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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misproportionnoun
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proportionabilitynoun
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proportionernoun
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proportionmentnoun
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superproportionnoun
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reproportionverb (used with object)
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proportionableadjective
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proportionlessadjective
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proportionablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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proportionsimple
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proportionssimple
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have proportionedperfect
-
has proportionedperfect
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am proportioningprogressive
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are proportioningprogressive
-
is proportioningprogressive
-
have been proportioningperfect progressive
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has been proportioningperfect progressive
Past
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proportionedsimple
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had proportionedperfect
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was proportioningprogressive
-
were proportioningprogressive
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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
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On Your Mark, Get Set, Commence Your Life!
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The Articles of Confederation (1777)
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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.
See Examples For:
This finding highlights an important distinction between the total number of ticks in an environment and the proportion carrying the pathogen.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026
The district has the highest proportion of Medi-Cal recipients in the state, with 67% of residents enrolled as of last year, according to the California Health Care Foundation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026
The participation rate—the proportion of the working-age population who were either employed or unemployed—was steady at 64.8% in October.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Xyra is offering to pay off a higher proportion of Poundland's outstanding debts than Martin Property Group, which previously submitted a bid that Gordon Brothers rejected.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
“The grand, indeed almost cataclysmic proportion of the explosion produced a kind of solemnity in everyone’s behavior immediately afterwards,” he wrote.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
But three centuries after it was nearly destroyed by a flood of biblical proportions, vultures now roost in its ruined steeples.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
The most sharply etched genres achieve their proportions by way of just a few seminal examples.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
By identifying relationships between skeletal proportions and known lifestyles, the models can estimate how extinct species used aquatic environments.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026
The main residence makes a dramatic first impression with its Mediterranean-inspired architecture and grand proportions.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
Alongside the clutter there is a starkness about the place that appeals to him: the floors are bare, the woodwork stripped, many of the windows without curtains to highlight their generous proportions.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Inside Ball’s former Charlotte residence, soaring ceilings and expansive windows create an open atmosphere, allowing natural light to flow throughout the home’s generously proportioned living spaces.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
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
Tall and beautifully proportioned, rising from its base to flare gracefully and then round to the mouth, a prunus vase was designed for one purpose—to display a single branch of flowering plum.
From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park
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
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
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
In proportioning the whole material into acts, it should be remembered, of course, that the time allowed for a theatrical performance ranges from two hours to two hours and three quarters.
From Dramatic Technique by George Pierce Baker
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