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disproportionate
[ dis-pruh-pawr-shuh-nit ]
disproportionate
adjective
- out of proportion; unequal
verb
- chem to undergo or cause to undergo disproportionation
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Derived Forms
- ˌdisproˈportionately, adverb
- ˌdisproˈportionateness, noun
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Other Words From
- dis·pro·por·tion·ate·ly adverb
- dis·pro·por·tion·ate·ness noun
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Word History and Origins
Origin of disproportionate1
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Example Sentences
Critics said the data grab was unconstitutional and disproportionate, and it was eventually struck down by the supreme court.
Portland is not the first place the federal government has stepped in with disproportionate force against the will of local authorities.
During this pandemic, you can already see the disproportionate impact taking shape.
The impact of such disparities, he said, is evident in the pandemic’s disproportionate effect on people of color.
That’s even more disproportionate than the county as a whole.
Defending yourself with disproportionate force against any loss of power?
Of how incredibly petty the offense can be and how insanely disproportionate the retaliation can be.
Not only do they often face disproportionate stigma, but also disproportionate responsibility.
But when this same chamber serves as Ferguson Municipal Court, a disproportionate number of the defendants are black.
The loss of Scottish bases would have “a disproportionate” impact on efficiency, he said.
The first and largest of these had a thick bamboo stem, an amber mouthpiece, and a tiny, disproportionate bowl of brass.
A pulmonary embolism shouldn't kill him, but the effects were disproportionate to the cause and would last a while.
Such razzias caused an amount of evil quite disproportionate to any paltry gains made by plundering those poor people.
Even there, however, their numbers are disproportionate to their influence, and even those small numbers are diminishing.
This was secured by assigning to the five classes, into which each tribe was divided, a very disproportionate number of citizens.
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Related Words
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More About Disproportionate
What does disproportionate mean?
Disproportionate means uneven or out of balance with something in terms of size, ratio, degree, or extent.
Disproportionate is the opposite of proportionate. Proportionate is the adjective form of the noun proportion, which refers to the relative size of two or more things. When something is described as disproportionate to something else, it means they are somehow unevenly matched.
Example: The military response—striking a dozen different sites with missiles—has been criticized as disproportionate to the act that supposedly provoked it—a single plane briefly entering a no-fly zone.
Where does disproportionate come from?
The first records of disproportionate come from the mid-1500s. The word is a combination of the prefix dis-, meaning “not,” and the word proportionate. Proportionate is the adjective form of the noun proportion, which comes from the Latin prōportiōn-, meaning “symmetry” or “analogy.”
In general, disproportionate relates to the sizes, degrees, and amounts of things in comparison to each other. Some things are disproportionate based on being outside of what their usual proportions should be. Michelangelo’s famous sculpture David is disproportionate—the head and hands are much larger than they would be on a person of that size (of course, this was almost certainly done intentionally).
Scientists might find that a disease disproportionately affects certain people (such as those with a certain genetic makeup), meaning it affects them more than a random selection of the population. The word disproportionate is often used in criticism of things that are out of proportion in an unfair way. A punishment might be called disproportionate if it’s overly extreme, such as a long prison sentence for a minor crime.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to disproportionate?
- disproportion (noun)
- disproportionately (adverb)
- proportioned (adjective)
- disproportionateness (noun)
What are some synonyms for disproportionate?
What are some words that share a root or word element with disproportionate?
What are some words that often get used in discussing disproportionate?
How is disproportionate used in real life?
The word disproportionate indicates unevenness and it often implies unfairness.
Pompeo in calls with foreign counterparts today is reiterating "the United States is committed to de-escalation," even as Trump is threatening Iran with a "disproportionate" military response including striking Iranian cultural sites
— Josh Lederman (@JoshNBCNews) January 6, 2020
Have you ever seen something as anatomically disproportionate as the Canada Lynx? pic.twitter.com/g7V9Ze6epN
— Jameson Di Nucci (@jamesondinucci) May 7, 2020
We should all be critical of the disproportionate number of NSF fellows awarded to students from top tiered institutions and challenge the application process to be more equitable
— Jamelle (@JamelleWD) April 1, 2020
Try using disproportionate!
Which of the following words is LEAST likely to be used to describe a situation considered disproportionate?
A. equal
B. uneven
C. mismatched
D. lopsided
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