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

If little credible information existed beforehand, the controversy will likely occupy a disproportionate share of what people find. — Evan Nierman, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

According to a recent New York Times article, the number of people killed by police continues to rise annually, with Black Americans still suffering this fate at a disproportionate rate. — Mike Jones, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

And Sunday, despite being dealt a loss and QBs often getting the disproportionate amount of blame and credit for losses and wins, was a success. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 14 Sep. 2026

California’s laws have a disproportionate effect on the global tech industry because many top AI companies are based in the state. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 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