proportionate
proportionate Lexical Profile
proportionate Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Corresponding in size, degree, or amount to something else; properly balanced or in due proportion.
"The legal panel emphasized that any regulatory penalty must be proportionate to the severity of the infraction."
• verb
To make proportionate; to adjust or allocate in proper relation to something else.
"The committee sought to proportionate the grant funding according to the size of each participating school district."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Proportionate' and 'proportional' are largely interchangeable, though 'proportional' is preferred in strict mathematical, scientific, and political contexts (such as 'proportional representation'), whereas 'proportionate' is more common when judging moral, legal, or practical fairness (such as 'a proportionate response').
• Rhymes for proportionate
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Late Latin 'proportionatus', the past participle of 'proportionare' ('to adjust in due proportion'), derived from Classical Latin 'proportio' ('comparative relation, analogy').