Disproportionate

How to spell disproportionate

16 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce disproportionate

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does disproportionate mean?

1. adjectiveToo large or too small in comparison with something else; out of balance or not in proportion.

Disproportionate in a sentence

• A disproportionate share of the budget went to a single department.

• The punishment seemed disproportionate to such a minor mistake.

Where does disproportionate come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin proportio, meaning 'a relation between parts' or 'a balanced ratio', which was itself formed from the phrase pro portione, literally 'according to each part's share'. The noun proportio gave rise to the adjective proportionate, describing something kept in due ratio, and English added the negative prefix dis-, meaning 'not' or 'lacking', to coin disproportionate for something that is out of balance. The compound entered English in the late 1500s, growing alongside the already borrowed proportion, which had arrived through Old French. The spelling trap lives in the middle: the unstressed -portion- carries a soft 'sh' sound that hides the letters, and writers often lose track of the double-sided structure created by stacking dis- and pro- at the front. Remembering that it is simply 'dis' plus 'proportion' plus '-ate' keeps the parts in order.

How the word is built

• dis- (not, lacking)
• pro- (in relation to)
• portion (a share, from Latin portio)
• -ate (adjective suffix)