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
-
(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
-
has been proportioningperfect progressive
Past
-
proportionedsimple
-
had proportionedperfect
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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
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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:
And yet, for the third week in a row, the proportion of bears was greater than that of bulls.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
In young adulthood, the potential impact can be seen in the proportion who go on to university, one of the biggest long-term drivers of improved earnings and life chances between generations.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
The figures show East Renfrewshire Council had the highest proportion of A to C passes at National 5, at 90.6%.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
She notes that the proportion of food stamps that were overpayments went up by only about 60%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
My loyalty to my father had increased in proportion to the miles between us.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Their stretched proportions reminded the scientists of Luffy's rubber body, which allows the fictional character to freely extend and enlarge his limbs.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
"The layouts and the proportions and views really came directly from the architecture rather than from how we generally would start planning a building from the ground up."
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Suburban counties with high proportions of homestead properties would face the sharpest exposure, and economically distressed small counties would be the least equipped to respond, the study said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
PlayStation still moved 70 million game discs last year, and the proportions of physical sales were especially high for franchises like Resident Evil and James Bond.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Not just your run-of-the-mill yacht but one of Bond-villain proportions.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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
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
The funds would be proportioned based on a voucher system that would let residents choose which outlets should get the most funding.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 25, 2023
It is carefully designed and proportioned, and yet it flows with graceful ease.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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
Moreover, he possessed as a birthright that ultimate skepticism which is the proportioning power of true wisdom.
From Time Magazine Archive
Reason, by the loss of innocence reduced to its natural nakedness, is just beginning to discover the world; and God is sparing in His demands, proportioning them to human experience .
From Time Magazine Archive
In proportioning the onions to the potatoes, you will be guided by your wish to have more or less of their flavour.
From The Cook's Oracle; and Housekeeper's Manual by Kitchiner, William
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.
