proportionate

1 of 2

adjective

pro·​por·​tion·​ate prə-ˈpȯr-sh(ə-)nət How to pronounce proportionate (audio)
Synonyms of proportionatenext
: proportional sense 1
proportionately adverb

proportionate

2 of 2

verb

pro·​por·​tion·​ate prə-ˈpȯr-shə-ˌnāt How to pronounce proportionate (audio)
proportionated; proportionating

transitive verb

: to make proportionate : proportion

Synonyms of proportionate

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of proportionate in a Sentence

Adjective Each investor will receive a proportionate share of the profits. expect financial returns proportionate to your efforts
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Congress should require any major public health directive from an agency or its political leadership to include a scientific assessment describing the evidence, uncertainties, and why the action is proportionate to the threat. — Debra Houry, STAT, 28 Aug. 2026 The issue is whether scrutiny is proportionate, process-led and free from racialised spectacle. — Nancy Doyle, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
France's two-round voting system is complex and not proportionate to the nationwide support for a party. — Sylvie Corbet, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2022 The two-round voting system is complex and not proportionate to the nationwide support for a party. — Bradford Betz, Fox News, 12 June 2022 See All Example Sentences for proportionate

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English proporcionate, borrowed from Medieval Latin prōportiōnātus, past participle of prōportiōnāre "to compose according to proportions, make proportional" — more at proportion entry 2

Verb

in part derivative of proportionate entry 1, in part borrowed from Medieval Latin prōportiōnātus, past participle of prōportiōnāre "to compose according to proportions, make proportional" — more at proportion entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1570, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of proportionate was in the 14th century

Rhymes for proportionate

See All Rhymes for proportionate

Browse Nearby Words

proportional tax
proportionate
proportioner
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Proportionate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proportionate. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

proportionate

adjective
pro·​por·​tion·​ate
p(r)ə-ˈpōr-sh(ə-)nət, 
-ˈpȯr-
: proportional sense 1
proportionately adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All