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 events of October 7 were unprecedented in Israeli history, but with the widespread destruction, starvation and such a soaring toll of dead and injured in Gaza, the government of Benjamin Netanyahu has faced claims that its response has been disproportionate – even amounting to genocide. —Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025

The lawsuit said the city police department responded to a disproportionate number of calls to the property, and more than 255 criminal incidents in three years. —Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2025

Cold-water streams have experienced disproportionate impacts, experiencing more than a 50% decrease in fish abundance over the last three decades, according to a study published Wednesday in Nature. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2025

While the study doesn’t explain why, a variety of factors could be at play, including the differing expectations for maternal and paternal roles and the disproportionate amount of time mothers typically spend with their children, which may lead to greater influence. —Sarah Scott, Parents, 23 Sep. 2025

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