inversely proportional

adjective

: related by inverse variation compare directly proportional

Examples of inversely proportional in a Sentence

The study indicates that the unemployment rate and inflation are inversely proportional.
Recent Examples on the Web To be sure, the theory of lipstick sales and economic health being inversely proportional can be hard to break down in the broader beauty category. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 5 Mar. 2024 The amount of gravitational attraction between two objects is proportional to the masses of those objects, and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Paul M. Sutter, Discover Magazine, 5 Dec. 2023 The pressure that acts on the plates is inversely proportional to the fourth power of the distance between the plates. Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 26 July 2023 My anxiety around humans was inversely proportional to my comfort in the cage with the bonobos. Dan Musgrave, Longreads, 9 May 2023 Change in Latin/Hispanic representation has been inversely proportional to their change in the real-world population, with drops in inclusion in front of and behind the camera both in film and television. Rebecca Sun, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2023 Only a few rare alleles are maintained in the population through frequency dependent dynamics, where the strength of selection is inversely proportional to the frequency of the allele in question. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 23 Oct. 2012 The bond yields are inversely proportional to their prices. Mimansa Verma, Quartz, 13 May 2022 One of the oldest traditions in workout design is that of making the intensity and the duration of intervals inversely proportional. Matt Fitzgerald, Outside Online, 15 June 2020

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

Word History

First Known Use

1723, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inversely proportional was in 1723

Dictionary Entries Near inversely proportional

Cite this Entry

“Inversely proportional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inversely%20proportional. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

inversely proportional

adjective
: related by inverse variation compare directly proportional
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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