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

The data also shows a disproportionate use of restraints against Black children. —Austen Erblat, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026

Utilities requested a record $31 billion in rate increases in 2025—more than double the prior year—and lower-income households are bearing a disproportionate share of those costs. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026

Some creators and observers say the disproportionate influence of voices outside of Iran has exacerbated deep rifts in the diaspora, which includes about 750,000 people in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center. —ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026

The May 2025 Minority and Missing Report – a collaborative effort among leading law enforcement and various civil society groups – also highlighted the disproportionate number of missing Black, American Indian and Alaska Native children. —Itay Ravid, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026

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