proportion
Americannoun
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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.
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relative size or extent.
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proportions, dimensions or size.
a rock of gigantic proportions.
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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
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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
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a share, part, or quota
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maths a relationship that maintains a constant ratio between two variable quantities
x increases in direct proportion to y
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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
Related Words
See symmetry.
Other Word Forms
- misproportion noun
- proportionability noun
- proportionable adjective
- proportionably adverb
- proportioner noun
- proportionless adjective
- proportionment noun
- reproportion verb (used with object)
- superproportion noun
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
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.
Of the 350 seats in Bangladesh's parliament, 300 are elected and the remaining 50 are reserved for women who are nominated by political parties in proportion to their electoral performance.
From BBC
“Almost every European country, with the exception of Nazi Germany,” he writes, “boasted a larger number of Communists as a proportion of their overall population than any province in China.”
It is, first of all, of aftermarket proportions—about the size of a country ham.
They make up a large proportion of bus drivers in cities such as Jerusalem and Haifa.
From Barron's
Catherine essentially becomes a character in a Sofia Coppola movie who grows increasingly trapped and anguished in proportion to her cosseting.
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.
