disproportionate

adjective dis·pro·por·tion·ate \ -sh(ə-)nət \

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

Definition of disproportionate

: being out of proportion

a disproportionate share

—

disproportionately

adverb

See disproportionate defined for English-language learners

See disproportionate defined for kids

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 of disproportionate from the Web

Yes, the constitutional arrangements that give small states and rural areas disproportionate power in our system will always help the conservative faction in American politics punch above its weight.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "To Conservatives Hoping to Salvage the Trump Era, Keeping the Senate Is Key," 16 Apr. 2018
For Benghazi residents, the complaint is that the religious militants who helped him seize Benghazi are now exerting a disproportionate influence on daily life in the city.

— declan walsh, New York Times, "A Libyan Strongman Looks to Washington, but a Health Crisis Looms," 12 Apr. 2018
The analysis, issued last Wednesday by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, said students with disabilities and all boys also experienced disproportionate levels of discipline.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "Racial bias causes black boys to be disciplined at school more than whites, federal report says," 11 Apr. 2018
Right now, the long jail stretch, which could start any day, looks disproportionate.

— The Economist, "Brazil’s Lula and government by judges," 5 Apr. 2018
Their attorneys claimed that the screening practice violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars practices that have an unjustified and disproportionate impact on people because of their race or national origin.

— charisse jones, USA TODAY, "Target agrees to settle a lawsuit alleging discrimination against blacks and Latinos," 5 Apr. 2018
And the Seattle school district has other problems, including its disproportionate punishment of black students.

— jerry large, The Seattle Times, "The injustices MLK fought are still present in Seattle today," 4 Apr. 2018
The project is intended to bring attention to the disproportionate victimization of indigenous women, girls and LGBTQ people.

— kristi eaton /, NBC News, "Artist brings attention to victimized indigenous women, LGBTQ people," 4 Apr. 2018
Avoid extreme or crash diets, too, which—on top of slowing down metabolism—can lead to disproportionate levels of weight loss.

— amanda macmillan, Health.com, "7 Things You Can and Can’t Do About Saggy Breasts," 20 Mar. 2018

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