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

More than one-third of global fragrance sales come from Europe, so winning there can be disproportionate. — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026

Opponents to the Henoko plan argue that building another airfield on Okinawa would only perpetuate the island’s disproportionate share of bases. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 7 Oct. 2026

Without proper controls, productivity gains can unintentionally drive disproportionate cost growth. — Sudipto Dasgupta, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026

The 1972 return of Okinawa's sovereignty to Japan did little to diminish the number of US bases on the island, leading to the disproportionate burden it is saddled with today. — CBS News, 6 Oct. 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