Proportion

/pɹəˈpɔɹʃən/ · noun

Meaning

(countable) A quantity of something that is part of the whole amount or number..

Definitions by Sense

1. (countable) A quantity of something that is part of the whole amount or number.
2. (uncountable) Harmonious relation of parts to each other or to the whole.
3. (countable) Proper or equal share.
4. The relation of one part to another or to the whole with respect to magnitude, quantity, or degree.
5. (mathematics, countable) A statement of equality between two ratios.
6. (mathematics, archaic) The "rule of three", in which three terms are given to find a fourth.
7. (countable, chiefly in the plural) Size.
8. (transitive) To divide into proper shares; to apportion.

Example Sentences

“I don't mean all of your friends—only a small proportion—which, however, connects your circle with that deadly, idle, brainless bunch—the insolent chatterers at the opera, the gorged dowagers, the worn-out, passionless men, the enervated matrons of the summer capital,[…]!”

Let the women[…]do the same things in their proportions and capacities.

the proportion of the parts of a building, or of the body

The image of Christ made in Pilate's time after his own proportion.

Formed in the best proportions of her sex.

The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again;[…]. Now she had come to look upon the matter in its true proportions, and her anticipation of a possible chance of teaching him a lesson was a pleasure to behold.

What other television show would feature a gorgeously designed sequence where a horrifically mutated Pierre and Marie Curie, their bodies swollen to Godzilla-like proportions from prolonged exposure to the radiation that would eventually kill them, destroy an Asian city with their bare hands like vengeance-crazed monster-Gods?

In order to proportion the braking force to the weight carried by a wheel - a matter of special importance in the braking of wagons - variable leverage systems are now being introduced in which the end of one axle spring is linked to a control spring in the change-over valve, so automatically varying the leverage exerted by the brake-rod according to whether the wagon is full or empty.

Synonyms for proportion

Antonyms for proportion

Related Words

Word Forms

• proportions
• proportioning
• proportioned

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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