disproportion

noun dis·pro·por·tion \ ˌdis-prə-ˈpȯr-shən \

Updated on: 17 Apr 2018

Definition of disproportion

: lack of proportion, symmetry, or proper relation : disparity; also : an instance of such disparity

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disproportional

play \-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl\ adjective

See disproportion defined for English-language learners

See disproportion defined for kids

Examples of disproportion in a Sentence

His salary is in disproportion to what people who have similar jobs earn.

Recent Examples of disproportion from the Web

Morton cited the disproportion number of black children in foster care and the juvenile justice system as factors.

— kate santich, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Count of Central Florida's homeless youth reveals 'hidden' population," 10 Apr. 2018
Though warrior women Bravely walk the walk, Derivatives of disproportionDraw heinous hypocrites To their flock.

— amanda arnold, The Cut, "So … Sean Penn Wrote a #MeToo Poem," 27 Mar. 2018
There are plenty more questions to be answered—about the genetics of fetopelvic disproportion risk, the role that neonatal care might play in helping smaller babies to survive, and whether other data sets show the same increase in risk.

— cathleen o'grady, Ars Technica, "C-sections might be relaxing the evolutionary pressure against big babies," 18 Oct. 2017
If women are at best no more productive than men, a faculty-level gender disparity might be an efficient outcome, albeit one tilted by the disproportion in the pool of undergraduates.

— The Economist, "Women and economics," 16 Dec. 2017
Over the history of Tasers in Chicago, their use has been marked by the same racial disparity seen in other elements of policing in the city, as cops have inflicted shocks in vast disproportion to African-Americans in poor and violent areas.

— dan hinkel, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago cops get more Tasers, but red flags remain," 25 Aug. 2017
The disproportion between their personal feelings and the wanton destruction of real estate and innocent life is both comical and horrific, and also oddly persuasive.

— kathryn shattuck, New York Times, "What’s on TV Tuesday: ‘Colossal’ and ‘Frontline: Life on Parole’," 18 July 2017
Thereby whites can even feel a little less guilty about racism, disproportions of wealth, and the homeless.

— norman mailer, Daily Intelligencer, "Black and White Justice," 30 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disproportion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of disproportion

1555

in the meaning defined above

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disproportion

verb

Definition of disproportion

transitive verb

: to make out of proportion : mismatch

First Known Use of disproportion

1593

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

DISPROPORTION Defined for English Language Learners

disproportion

noun

Definition of disproportion for English Language Learners

: a difference that is not fair, reasonable, or expected

DISPROPORTION Defined for Kids

disproportion

noun dis·pro·por·tion \ ˌdis-prə-ˈpȯr-shən \

Definition of disproportion for Students

: a marked difference in the size, number, or amount of something as compared to another thing There is a disproportion of boys to girls in the class.