# proportionate

/pɹəˈpɔɹʃənət/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/proportionate
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. matching in size or amount

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

having the correct size, amount, or degree in relation to something else.

For teachers: corresponding in size, degree, or intensity to something else; maintaining a consistent ratio.

- The punishment should be proportionate to the crime committed.
- The management argued that the salary increases were proportionate to the recent rise in the cost of living.

Usage: Often followed by the preposition 'to'.

### 2. balanced and symmetrical

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal · Literary

having parts that fit together well and look balanced.

For teachers: exhibiting harmonious or symmetrical proportions in physical form or design.

- The architect designed a building with perfectly proportionate windows.
- The sculptor was praised for creating a figure with highly proportionate limbs that captured a sense of natural grace.

### 3. to make equal or balanced

verb · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

to adjust something so that it matches something else in size or importance.

For teachers: to adjust or regulate something so that it reaches a proper proportion or relation to another thing.

- The tax system is designed to proportionate the burden based on income.
- The legal framework attempts to proportionate the level of force used by police to the specific threat encountered.

Usage: This transitive verb use is significantly less common than the adjective form.

## Examples

- The punishment should be proportionate to the crime.
- The company promised that salary increases would be proportionate to each employee's performance over the last year.
- In international law, military action is only considered legitimate if the force used is proportionate to the threat encountered, avoiding unnecessary harm to civilian populations.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.