disproportionate

adjective

dis·​pro·​por·​tion·​ate ˌdis-prə-ˈpȯr-sh(ə-)nət How to pronounce disproportionate (audio)
: 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 Besides their disproportionate size, the new buildings rising in the neighborhood are set apart by their bright colors, splashy design features, sophisticated but small gardens and lots of bedrooms. Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Unfortunately, these findings from the Fed show disproportionate benefit to men. Jane Thier, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2024 About 1 in 5 transgender people have experienced homelessness at some point, the National Center for Transgender Equality reports, and Black people make up a disproportionate number of them. Nada Hassanein, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 An analysis by the environmental group Union of Concerned Scientists found about 13 million people live near these facilities, and these emissions pose a disproportionate risk to poor and minority communities. Alejandra Martinez, ProPublica, 15 Mar. 2024 There is also a disproportionate lemon falling from the sky above her. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 Angela Suarez, primary care medical director for Santa Clara Valley Healthcare, notes that the county system serves a disproportionate number of low-income, Medi-Cal, and Medicare patients, who often had to drive south to Gilroy or north to San Jose to receive care. Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024 There’s been growing attention in recent years to the disproportionate harms of extreme weather, sometimes aggravated by climate change, on low-income countries that produce far less greenhouse gas emissions, per person, than wealthier, more industrialized countries. Somini Sengupta, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 How representation for the sake of representation doesn’t generate progress in the way some people seem to think, and how minorities bear the disproportionate brunt of their failures. Jason Parham, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disproportionate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of disproportionate was in 1555

Dictionary Entries Near disproportionate

Cite this Entry

“Disproportionate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disproportionate. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

disproportionate

adjective
dis·​pro·​por·​tion·​ate ˌdis-prə-ˈpōr-sh(ə-)nət How to pronounce disproportionate (audio)
-ˈpȯr-
: being out of proportion
disproportionately adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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