commensurate

adjective

com·​men·​su·​rate kə-ˈmen(t)s-rət 

-ˈmen(t)sh-;

-ˈmen(t)-sə-,

-shə-

1

: corresponding in size, extent, amount, or degree : proportionate

was given a job commensurate with her abilities

2

: equal in measure or extent : coextensive

lived a life commensurate with the early years of the republic

3

: commensurable sense 1

commensurately adverb

commensuration

kə-ˌmen(t)-sə-ˈrā-shən 

-shə-

noun

Did you know?

Commensurate comes from the Latin word for the act of measuring, mensūra. That noun is based on mensus, the past participle of the verb mētīrī," meaning "to determine the extent of."

Synonyms

• proportional
• comparable
• proportionate
• balanced
• commensurable

Examples of commensurate in a Sentence

Because the effects of tobacco are slow—and iterative—and produce diseases that have other causes and explanations, often later in life, they seldom arouse fear commensurate with their impact. —Allan M. Brandt, The Cigarette Century, (2007) 2009

The last of the string family, the double bass, is the largest of all and must be played standing. Because it is seen in jazz bands, it has recently taken on an importance more nearly commensurate with its size. —Aaron Copland, What to Listen for in Music, (1957) 1988

… athletes are rewarded commensurate with their fame, not their intrinsic talent … —Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated, 21 Dec. 1987

I find it interesting that the meanest life, the poorest existence, is attributed to God's will, but as human beings become more affluent, as their living standard and style begin to ascend the material scale, God descends the scale of responsibility at a commensurate speed. —Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, 1969

Her new position came with a commensurate level of responsibility.

was given a job commensurate with her abilities and experience

Recent Examples on the Web

But the most urgent goal is meeting the hybrid threat with commensurate and proportional forces, mostly directed against the shadow fleet. —James Stavridis, Twin Cities, 13 Oct. 2025

So why haven’t firms taken action commensurate with the scale of the problem? —Justin Worland, Time, 3 Oct. 2025

Netflix had offered the best of both worlds—access to a nation-wide streaming audience, plus a level of theatrical play commensurate with what the movie would have received from a traditional art-house distributor anyway. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2025

OpenAI’s Sam Altman sees an AI bubble forming as industry spending surges without commensurate gains in performance. —John M. Bremen, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin commensuratus, from Latin com- + Late Latin mensuratus, past participle of mensurare to measure, from Latin mensura measure — more at measure

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for commensurate

• incommensurate

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Kids Definition

commensurate

adjective

com·​men·​su·​rate kə-ˈmen(t)s-(ə-)rət 

-ˈmench-(ə-)rət

1

: equal in measure or extent

2

: proportional sense 1

an income commensurate with one's needs

commensurately adverb

commensuration

kə-ˌmen(t)s-ə-ˈrā-shən 

-ˌmench-ə-

noun