disproportionate

adjective

dis·​pro·​por·​tion·​ate ˌdis-prə-ˈpȯr-sh(ə-)nət 

: being out of proportion

a disproportionate share

disproportionately adverb

Examples of disproportionate in a Sentence

He believes that middle-class people bear a disproportionate share of the tax burden.

A disproportionate number of the students are poor.

Recent Examples on the Web

With 70 percent of its workforce being women and operations spread across multiple geographies, the new commitments prioritize addressing women’s disproportionate care responsibilities by providing support for childcare and eldercare, while emphasizing climate adaptation in vulnerable communities. —Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 24 Oct. 2025

Supervisors voted in 2024 to design a pilot program to outfit deputies with stun guns, ordering the creation of a report that would outline potential health impacts and community concerns of the the weapon’s disproportionate use against minorities. —Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025

Progress toward gender equality has been slow in Japan, where women are far outnumbered at the highest levels of business and government and bear a disproportionate responsibility for child care and household chores. —Arata Yamamoto, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2025

These doctors also occupy a disproportionate number of primary care positions. —Patrick Aguilar, The Conversation, 17 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin disprōportiōnātus, past participle of disprōportiōnāre "to make out of proportion," from Latin dis- dis- + Medieval Latin prōportiōnāre "to compose according to proportions" — more at proportion entry 2

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for disproportionate

• extortionate
• proportionate

Kids Definition

disproportionate

adjective

dis·​pro·​por·​tion·​ate ˌdis-prə-ˈpōr-sh(ə-)nət 

-ˈpȯr-

: being out of proportion

disproportionately adverb