proportional

1 of 2

noun

pro·​por·​tion·​al prə-ˈpȯr-shnəl How to pronounce proportional (audio)
-shə-nᵊl
: a number or quantity in a proportion

proportional

2 of 2

adjective

1
a
: corresponding in size, degree, or intensity
b
: having the same or a constant ratio
corresponding sides of similar triangles are proportional
2
: regulated or determined in size or degree with reference to proportions
a proportional system of immigration quotas
a proportional font/typeface [=a font/typeface with characters of various widths]
proportionality noun
proportionally
prə-ˈpȯr-shnə-lē How to pronounce proportional (audio)
-shə-nᵊl-ē
adverb

Examples of proportional in a Sentence

Adjective The features of the face in the drawing are proportional. the website's popularity increased exponentially, resulting in a proportional increase in advertising revenue
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Are the savings or commercial advantages gained through AI deployment proportional to its sustainability costs? Guy Courtin, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Bottoms like leggings, black tights, and skinny jeans are perfect options to keep your outfit proportional. Parents Editors, Parents, 13 June 2023 Each of the finalists were judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for college success with the number of winners in each state proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors. Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al, 26 Jan. 2023
Adjective
Each candidate gets a certain number of delegates proportional to the vote percentage received in the state contests. USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2024 The intensity of the bombardment and the extensiveness of the bombardment is massive on a proportional level. Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2024 Den Nijs’ work predicted that the chance of finding one arm in a hexagonal grid is proportional to $latex 1/n^{5/48}$, where n is the number of tiles from the center to the edge, or the radius of the grid. Quanta Magazine, 7 Feb. 2024 The impact of a government shutdown is somewhat proportional to its length, with longer shutdowns typically having greater economic impact. Simon Moore, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Scaling up sales operations or marketing efforts led to a proportional increase in sales results. Ryan Hinkle, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2024 The Republican National Committee mandates that states with elections before March 15 use the proportional allocation method and allows for states to establish a minimum percentage of the vote up to 20% for a candidate to receive delegates. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2024 Even in small quantities, lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium are known to pose a risk of neurological and developmental impairment in children, who are still growing and eat more food proportional to their body weights than adults do. Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 23 Jan. 2024 Balancing Quality And Quantity In Team Composition In software development, the effectiveness of a team is not necessarily proportional to its size. Andres Zunino, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'proportional.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Late Latin prōportiōnāle, noun derivative from neuter of prōportiōnālis proportional entry 2

Adjective

Middle English proporcional, proporcionel, borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French proporcionel, borrowed from Late Latin prōportiōnālis, from Latin prōportiōn-, prōportiō "analogy, proper spatial relation between parts" + -ālis -al entry 1 — more at proportion entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1570, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of proportional was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near proportional

Cite this Entry

“Proportional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proportional. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

proportional

adjective
pro·​por·​tion·​al
p(r)ə-ˈpōr-shnəl,
-ˈpȯr-,
-shən-ᵊl
1
a
: being equivalent in size, amount, or strength
b
: having the same or a constant ratio
2
: set with reference to proportions
proportionality
-ˌpōr-shə-ˈnal-ət-ē
-ˌpȯr-
noun
proportionally
-ˈpōr-shnə-lē
-ˈpȯr-
-shən-ᵊl-ē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on proportional

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