Dictionary.com

proportional

[ pruh-pawr-shuh-nl ]
/ prəˈpɔr ʃə nl /
Save This Word!

adjective
having due proportion; corresponding.
being in or characterized by proportion.
of, relating to, or based on proportion; relative.
Mathematics.
  1. (of two quantities) having the same or a constant ratio or relation: The quantities y and x are proportional if y/x = k, where k is the constant of proportionality.
  2. (of a first quantity with respect to a second quantity) a constant multiple of: The quantity y is proportional to x if y = kx, where k is the constant of proportionality.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of proportional

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English proporcional, from Latin prōportiōnālis; see proportion, -al1

OTHER WORDS FROM proportional

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH proportional

proportional , proportionate
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use proportional in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for proportional

proportional
/ (prəˈpɔːʃənəl) /

adjective
of, involving, or being in proportion
maths having or related by a constant ratio
noun
maths an unknown term in a proportionin a/b = c/x, x is the fourth proportional

Derived forms of proportional

proportionality, nounproportionally, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK