proportion
Americannoun
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comparative relation between things or magnitudes as to size, quantity, number, etc.; ratio.
- Synonyms:
- comparison
-
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
-
symmetry, harmony, or balance.
an architect with a sense of proportion.
- Synonyms:
- arrangement, distribution
-
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.
-
Archaic. analogy; comparison.
noun
-
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
-
to adjust in relative amount, size, etc
-
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.
Gwynedd has the highest proportion of Welsh speakers in the country, according to the 2021 Census, which also showed a fall in the proportion of Welsh speakers in Wales.
From BBC
The plain old S&P 500 represents those companies in proportion to their market capitalization.
Neville also says that gold is very expensive, whether using valuation metrics such as inflation-adjusted price, multiple of extraction cost, other commodity relatives or proportion of global wealth.
From MarketWatch
As the animal grew from dog sized to horse sized to giraffe sized and eventually to enormous proportions, its place in the ecosystem shifted at each stage.
From Science Daily
"A large proportion of Nepal's population live here, and they have long felt excluded," he said.
From Barron's
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.
