Disproportionate
adjective
Something that is too large or too small in comparison to something else.
The punishment for the crime was disproportionate to the seriousness of the offense.
Often appears as...
- disproportionate response
- disproportionate punishment
adjective
Not in correct proportion or relationship.
The disproportionate spending on military has left other critical sectors unfunded.
Often appears as...
- disproportionate spending
- disproportionate distribution
Usage tips
Academic
adjective
Being out of proportion in size or magnitude with something.
The contribution of some countries to global warming is disproportionate to their size.
Often appears as...
- disproportionate contribution
- disproportionate effect
Usage tips
Academic
adjective
Something that is too large or too small in comparison to something else.
The punishment for the crime was disproportionate to the seriousness of the offense.
Often appears as...
- disproportionate response
- disproportionate punishment
adjective
Not in correct proportion or relationship.
The disproportionate spending on military has left other critical sectors unfunded.
Often appears as...
- disproportionate spending
- disproportionate distribution
Usage tips
Academic
adjective
Being out of proportion in size or magnitude with something.
The contribution of some countries to global warming is disproportionate to their size.
Often appears as...
- disproportionate contribution
- disproportionate effect
Usage tips
Academic
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Relative Size
Use 'disproportionate' to emphasize that one thing is much bigger or smaller than it should be compared to another.
The disproportionate amount of homework to play time frustrated the students.
Pro Tip 2/3Negative Connotation
'Disproportionate' often implies something is unfair or not right, so use it to criticize.
A disproportionate share of the profits went to the executives, which seemed unfair.
Pro Tip 3/3Visual Imagery
Imagine one side of a scale heavily weighed down to help remember the meaning of 'disproportionate'.
In cartoons, a character's disproportionate head to body ratio can be comical.
Pro Tip 1/3Relative Size
Use 'disproportionate' to emphasize that one thing is much bigger or smaller than it should be compared to another.
The disproportionate amount of homework to play time frustrated the students.
Pro Tip 2/3Negative Connotation
'Disproportionate' often implies something is unfair or not right, so use it to criticize.
A disproportionate share of the profits went to the executives, which seemed unfair.
Pro Tip 3/3Visual Imagery
Imagine one side of a scale heavily weighed down to help remember the meaning of 'disproportionate'.
In cartoons, a character's disproportionate head to body ratio can be comical.
Pro Tip 1/3Relative Size
Use 'disproportionate' to emphasize that one thing is much bigger or smaller than it should be compared to another.
The disproportionate amount of homework to play time frustrated the students.
Pro Tip 2/3Negative Connotation
'Disproportionate' often implies something is unfair or not right, so use it to criticize.
A disproportionate share of the profits went to the executives, which seemed unfair.
Pro Tip 3/3Visual Imagery
Imagine one side of a scale heavily weighed down to help remember the meaning of 'disproportionate'.
In cartoons, a character's disproportionate head to body ratio can be comical.
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Video examples
What happens when you...
around the world, of a strikingly similar post-infectious disease. All of these outbreaks have tended to disproportionately affect women, and in time, when doctors failed to find the one cause of the disease, they thought that these outbreaks were mass hysteria. Why has this idea had such staying power?
Video examples
The way we think about...
and if that money could go disproportionately to health and human services charities, because those were the ones we encouraged to invest in their growth, that would represent a tripling of contributions to that sector. Now we're talking scale. Now we're talking the potential for real change.
Video examples
What is imposter...
though it may be more prevalent and disproportionately affect the experiences of underrepresented or disadvantaged groups. To call it a syndrome is to downplay how universal it is. It's not a disease or an abnormality, and it isn’t necessarily tied to depression, anxiety, or self-esteem.
Video examples
Why Brexit happened --...
disproportionately better education facilities, health facilities, access to social services in those regions of high immigration to address the concerns of those local populations. But while we encourage that around the developing world, we don't take those lessons home
Video examples
Eric Liu: Why ordinary...
how power operates in civic life, those who understand how a bill becomes a law, yes, but also how a friendship becomes a subsidy, or how a bias becomes a policy, or how a slogan becomes a movement, the people who understand those things wield disproportionate influence,
Video examples
Why good leaders make...
have such a visceral hatred, anger, at some of these banking CEOs with their disproportionate salaries and bonus structures. It's not the numbers. It's that they have violated the very definition of leadership. They have violated this deep-seated social contract.
Video examples
After billions of years...
except here. In our biosphere, molecule-sized objects, genes, control vastly disproportionate resources. The first genes for photosynthesis, by causing their own proliferation, and then transforming the surface of the planet,
Video examples
Lessons we can learn...
disproportionate attention to veterans who have committed crimes those struggling in their transitions those grievously wounded and those are important stories to tell but there's been comparatively less attention paid
Video examples
Bite of the Tasmanian...
massive head is disproportionately larger than the rest of its torso and supports an unusually prominent and powerful mouth to date Taz's have killed
Video examples
Giant Pandas' Mating...
disproportionately short penis even when things are going well mating can take many attempts
Video examples
What happens when you...
around the world, of a strikingly similar post-infectious disease. All of these outbreaks have tended to disproportionately affect women, and in time, when doctors failed to find the one cause of the disease, they thought that these outbreaks were mass hysteria. Why has this idea had such staying power?
Video examples
The way we think about...
and if that money could go disproportionately to health and human services charities, because those were the ones we encouraged to invest in their growth, that would represent a tripling of contributions to that sector. Now we're talking scale. Now we're talking the potential for real change.
Video examples
What is imposter...
though it may be more prevalent and disproportionately affect the experiences of underrepresented or disadvantaged groups. To call it a syndrome is to downplay how universal it is. It's not a disease or an abnormality, and it isn’t necessarily tied to depression, anxiety, or self-esteem.
Video examples
Why Brexit happened --...
disproportionately better education facilities, health facilities, access to social services in those regions of high immigration to address the concerns of those local populations. But while we encourage that around the developing world, we don't take those lessons home
Video examples
Eric Liu: Why ordinary...
how power operates in civic life, those who understand how a bill becomes a law, yes, but also how a friendship becomes a subsidy, or how a bias becomes a policy, or how a slogan becomes a movement, the people who understand those things wield disproportionate influence,
Video examples
Why good leaders make...
have such a visceral hatred, anger, at some of these banking CEOs with their disproportionate salaries and bonus structures. It's not the numbers. It's that they have violated the very definition of leadership. They have violated this deep-seated social contract.
Video examples
After billions of years...
except here. In our biosphere, molecule-sized objects, genes, control vastly disproportionate resources. The first genes for photosynthesis, by causing their own proliferation, and then transforming the surface of the planet,
Video examples
Lessons we can learn...
disproportionate attention to veterans who have committed crimes those struggling in their transitions those grievously wounded and those are important stories to tell but there's been comparatively less attention paid
Video examples
Bite of the Tasmanian...
massive head is disproportionately larger than the rest of its torso and supports an unusually prominent and powerful mouth to date Taz's have killed
Video examples
Giant Pandas' Mating...
disproportionately short penis even when things are going well mating can take many attempts
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Sarah Harrison
British Journalist
The job of the press is to speak truth to power. And yet, for doing our job, we are persecuted. I say that these aggressive and illegal tactics to silence us - inventing arbitrary legal interpretations, over-zealous charges and disproportionate sentences - must not be permitted to succeed.
Quote examples
Wagner Moura
Brazilian Actor
Forced labor affects the most vulnerable and least protected people, perpetuating a vicious cycle of poverty and dependency. Women, low-skilled migrant workers, children, indigenous peoples, and other groups suffering discrimination on different grounds are disproportionately affected.
Quote examples
Nazanin Boniadi
British Actress
Women and girls, men and boys all share the right to live free of violence, which is, unfortunately, experienced by both men and women. Women and girls, however, disproportionately experience violence due to a deeply rooted global culture of gender discrimination.
Quote examples
Robert Casey
American Politician
I am fairly certain that my abortion position hurt me, because in a Democratic primary, where turnout is relatively low, liberal voters turn out in disproportionately large numbers and thus exercise a disproportionate influence on the outcome.
Quote examples
Mike Quigley
American Politician
Violence of all forms is wreaking havoc in communities across the country, disproportionately impacting communities of color and shaving half a million years of life off our collective lifespan. But it doesn't have to be this way.
Quote examples
Gretchen Rubin
American Author
In the scope of a happy life, a messy desk or an overstuffed coat closet is a trivial thing, yet I find - and I hear from other people that they agree - that getting rid of clutter gives a disproportionate boost to happiness.
Quote examples
William Allingham
Irish Poet
I have been an 'Official' all my life, without the least turn for it. I never could attain a true official manner, which is highly artificial and handles trifles with ludicrously disproportionate gravity.
Quote examples
Winnie Byanyima
Ugandan Politician
The extremely wealthy have disproportionate influence on policies that impact us all. This corrupts our politics and leads to poorer people being denied the economic opportunity to flourish in life.
Quote examples
Iqbal Quadir
Bangladeshi Businessman
Pakistan is riddled with problems that are rooted in the disproportionate power of the state. Aid has only boosted that power.
Quote examples
Sucheta Dalal
Companies know that children have disproportionate influence over their parents' purse strings.
Quote examples
Sarah Harrison
British Journalist
The job of the press is to speak truth to power. And yet, for doing our job, we are persecuted. I say that these aggressive and illegal tactics to silence us - inventing arbitrary legal interpretations, over-zealous charges and disproportionate sentences - must not be permitted to succeed.
Quote examples
Wagner Moura
Brazilian Actor
Forced labor affects the most vulnerable and least protected people, perpetuating a vicious cycle of poverty and dependency. Women, low-skilled migrant workers, children, indigenous peoples, and other groups suffering discrimination on different grounds are disproportionately affected.
Quote examples
Nazanin Boniadi
British Actress
Women and girls, men and boys all share the right to live free of violence, which is, unfortunately, experienced by both men and women. Women and girls, however, disproportionately experience violence due to a deeply rooted global culture of gender discrimination.
Quote examples
Robert Casey
American Politician
I am fairly certain that my abortion position hurt me, because in a Democratic primary, where turnout is relatively low, liberal voters turn out in disproportionately large numbers and thus exercise a disproportionate influence on the outcome.
Quote examples
Mike Quigley
American Politician
Violence of all forms is wreaking havoc in communities across the country, disproportionately impacting communities of color and shaving half a million years of life off our collective lifespan. But it doesn't have to be this way.
Quote examples
Gretchen Rubin
American Author
In the scope of a happy life, a messy desk or an overstuffed coat closet is a trivial thing, yet I find - and I hear from other people that they agree - that getting rid of clutter gives a disproportionate boost to happiness.
Quote examples
William Allingham
Irish Poet
I have been an 'Official' all my life, without the least turn for it. I never could attain a true official manner, which is highly artificial and handles trifles with ludicrously disproportionate gravity.
Quote examples
Winnie Byanyima
Ugandan Politician
The extremely wealthy have disproportionate influence on policies that impact us all. This corrupts our politics and leads to poorer people being denied the economic opportunity to flourish in life.
Quote examples
Iqbal Quadir
Bangladeshi Businessman
Pakistan is riddled with problems that are rooted in the disproportionate power of the state. Aid has only boosted that power.
Quote examples
Sucheta Dalal
Companies know that children have disproportionate influence over their parents' purse strings.
Example 1 of 10
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