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Definition of proportions - 3 dictionary results

pro⋅por⋅tion

  [pruh-pawr-shuhn, -pohr-]
Use proportions in a Sentence
–noun
1. comparative relation between things or magnitudes as to size, quantity, number, etc.; ratio.
2. proper relation between things or parts: to have tastes way out of proportion to one's financial means.
3. relative size or extent.
4. proportions, dimensions or size: a rock of gigantic proportions.
5. a portion or part in its relation to the whole: A large proportion of the debt remains.
6. symmetry, harmony, or balance: an architect with a sense of proportion.
7. the significance of a thing or event that an objective view reveals: You must try to see these mishaps in proportion.
8. 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. Compare rule of three.
9. Archaic. analogy; comparison.
–verb (used with object)
10. to adjust in proper proportion or relation, as to size, quantity, etc.
11. to balance or harmonize the proportions of.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME proporcio(u)n < L prōportiōn- (s. of prōportiō) symmetry, analogy. See pro- 1 , portion

Related forms:
pro⋅por⋅tion⋅er, noun
pro⋅por⋅tion⋅less, adjective

Synonyms:
1. comparison. 5. share. 6. distribution, arrangement. See symmetry. 10. regulate, arrange, balance, harmonize.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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pro·por·tion   (prə-pôr'shən, -pōr'-)   
n.  
  1. A part considered in relation to the whole.
  2. A relationship between things or parts of things with respect to comparative magnitude, quantity, or degree: the proper proportion between oil and vinegar in the dressing.
  3. A relationship between quantities such that if one varies then another varies in a manner dependent on the first: "We do not always find visible happiness in proportion to visible virtue" (Samuel Johnson).
  4. Agreeable or harmonious relation of parts within a whole; balance or symmetry.
  5. Dimensions; size. Often used in the plural.
  6. Mathematics A statement of equality between two ratios. Four quantities, a, b, c, d, are said to be in proportion if a/b = c/d .
tr.v.   pro·por·tioned, pro·por·tion·ing, pro·por·tions
  1. To adjust so that proper relations between parts are attained.
  2. To form the parts of with balance or symmetry.

[Middle English proporcion, from Old French proportion, from Latin prōportiō, prōportiōn-, from prō portiōne, according to (each) part : prō, according to; see pro-1 + portiōne, ablative of portiō, part; see perə-2 in Indo-European roots.]
pro·por'tion·a·ble adj., pro·por'tion·a·bly adv., pro·por'tion·er n., pro·por'tion·ment n.
Synonyms: These nouns mean aesthetic arrangement marked by proper distribution of elements. Proportion is the agreeable relation of parts within a whole: a house with rooms of gracious proportion.
Harmony is the pleasing interaction or appropriate combination of elements: the harmony of your facial features.
Symmetry and balance both imply an arrangement of parts on either side of a dividing line, but symmetry frequently emphasizes mirror-image correspondence of parts, while balance often suggests dissimilar parts that offset each other harmoniously: flowers planted in perfect symmetry around the pool. "In all perfectly beautiful objects, there is found the opposition of one part to another, and a reciprocal balance" (John Ruskin).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
proportion   (prə-pôr'shən)  Pronunciation Key 
A statement of equality between two ratios. Four quantities, a, b, c, and d, are said to be in proportion if a/b = c/d .
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
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