proportion
Americannoun
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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
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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
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
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has proportionedperfect
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am proportioningprogressive
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are proportioningprogressive
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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:
That would be the highest proportion since the second quarter of 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic slammed into the global economy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
It owns the stocks of effectively all the world’s big and medium-size companies, just over 10,000 of them, in exact proportion to their market value in dollars.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
The problem is that the risks posed by most of the chemicals that they look at, in the amounts they report finding, are often blown wildly out of proportion.
From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2026
Nearly the same proportion of White American females over age 50 are affected, particularly those who are postmenopausal.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026
In 1983, as a result of desegregation the proportion of white students at Permian was 76 percent and that of Hispanics 14 percent.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
The particular mixture and proportions of these compounds varied from one cat to another, yet remained relatively consistent within the same animal.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
Toreno Winn, stylist, photographer and creative director, is drawn to the experimental qualities of CDG, Junya Watanabe and Sacai, with playful proportions and unexpected silhouettes defining his collection.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
They tend to be little, plump, tucked in, braided or rolled up; they have the proportions of toys.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
These proportions were higher than for other professions including nuclear technologists, who are routinely exposed to radiation from non-cosmic sources yet placed 12th on the list, the authors said.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
The clay for glaze was mixed in precise proportions with water and wood ash.
From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park
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
Perlstein had a fair complexion; his pal, Proctor, was similarly proportioned, seemingly more human, and dark-haired.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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 proportioning, however, of friction-pulleys to the work required and their substantial and accurate construction are matters of perhaps more importance than the selection of material.
From Modern Machine-Shop Practice, Volumes I and II by Joshua Rose
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.
