as in unequal
having or showing a difference that is not fair, reasonable, or expected; too large or too small in relation to something
He believes that middle-class people bear a disproportionate share of the tax burden. A disproportionate number of the students are poor.
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Recent Examples of disproportionate
Those products are heavily marketed to Black women, which also raises concerns about disproportionate health impacts.
—
Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 2026
America’s top universities are training grounds for the country’s elite – producing a disproportionate number of stars in politics, business, academia, medicine and more.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 2 Jan. 2026
So after that he was met with disproportionate force.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 31 Dec. 2025
Situated along the primary transit routes for narcotics originating in Afghanistan, Iran has borne a disproportionate share of the human and financial costs of counternarcotics efforts, including thousands of casualties among its law enforcement personnel.
—Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disproportionate
Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 2026
America’s top universities are training grounds for the country’s elite – producing a disproportionate number of stars in politics, business, academia, medicine and more.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 2 Jan. 2026
So after that he was met with disproportionate force.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 31 Dec. 2025
Situated along the primary transit routes for narcotics originating in Afghanistan, Iran has borne a disproportionate share of the human and financial costs of counternarcotics efforts, including thousands of casualties among its law enforcement personnel.
—Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disproportionate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disproportionate
Adjective
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Among the central innovations of prediction markets is the idea that an unequal playing field might actually facilitate the truth.—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
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Obviously reading at random won’t solve all the issues with unequal advances, difficulties in sustaining a career, and lack of diversity in publishing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Based on the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco, this story highlights the struggles of a diverse group of women who come together to survive more than the destruction of their city.—
Barbara Ellis,
Denver Post,
15 Jan. 2026
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The study population was also largely White, relatively highly educated and had few co-occurring conditions, Holtzheimer said — so how SAINT may work for more diverse groups or ones with more than one diagnosis isn’t fully clear, though this wasn’t the point of the study.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Leia will sport an adventurous look while Han will wear his distinctive black Corellian vest.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Faithfull’s signature, distinctive, melodic, high-register vocals had defined her career, but her voice was permanently altered by severe laryngitis and her persistent drug abuse.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But beyond all that, the sports issue has brought out the reality of biology itself, underscoring the fact that femininity and masculinity are not just states of mind, and that men and women are irreversibly, insurmountably different and distinct in anatomy and physiology.—
Alanna Smith,
New York Daily News,
12 Jan. 2026
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The stimulation produces a distinct physical sensation inside the nose.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Better yet, thanks to their neutral palette, each piece can be easily mixed and matched with the rest of my closet.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
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That appears to be behind the CIA's mixed assessment of its stability.—
Margaret Brennan,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But advocates argued that merely checking a box to satisfy an audit does not necessarily mean improvements in animal welfare, as evidenced by several troubling incidents that occurred last year, which is why advocates want greater transparency into how the city is fulfilling its obligations.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2026
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Over the past year, CBS has experienced several controversies and new ownership that led to new leadership, which have some critics accusing the network of losing its credibility.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disproportionate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disproportionate. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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