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 big story Last December, when Amazon pledged a massive $35 billion investment in India including for digitizing over 12 million small businesses and enhancing logistical infrastructure, the scale of the commitment seemed disproportionate to the market’s size.
—
Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
The condition induces pain that is disproportionate to the actual initial injury.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Those three upgrades alone eliminate pushing, bagging and daily watering — three tasks that eat up a disproportionate chunk of your weekend.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 14 Apr. 2026
Black women and girls face a disproportionate level of violence, and families have raised concerns about cases that received too little attention, investigations that lacked urgency and gaps in the system, according to the Office for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disproportionate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
The condition induces pain that is disproportionate to the actual initial injury.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Those three upgrades alone eliminate pushing, bagging and daily watering — three tasks that eat up a disproportionate chunk of your weekend.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 14 Apr. 2026
Black women and girls face a disproportionate level of violence, and families have raised concerns about cases that received too little attention, investigations that lacked urgency and gaps in the system, according to the Office for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disproportionate
Cite this Entry
“Disproportionate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disproportionate. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
disproportionate
adjective
dis·pro·por·tion·ate
ˌdis-prə-ˈpōr-sh(ə-)nət
-ˈpȯr-
: being out of proportion
disproportionately
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
