disproportionate

adjective

dis·​pro·​por·​tion·​ate ˌdis-prə-ˈpȯr-sh(ə-)nət 

: being out of proportion

a disproportionate share

disproportionately adverb

Examples of disproportionate in a Sentence

He believes that middle-class people bear a disproportionate share of the tax burden.

A disproportionate number of the students are poor.

Recent Examples on the Web

Related Articles For decades, the tobacco industry has targeted people of color, limited-income communities, LGBTQ+ people and youth, causing a disproportionate use of tobacco among these populations. —David Stempel, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024

In 2022, justices decided that Medicare enrollees should count toward hospitals' disproportionate share payments even when Medicare wasn't paying the enrollee's bill. —Maya Goldman, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024

Pennsylvania's hesitation reflects a larger national trend: swing states, which currently enjoy disproportionate influence in presidential elections, are resistant to the compact. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

Ignoring the lessons of Ruby Ridge and Waco, the Harris Administration uses disproportionate force to deter other states from following suit. —Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin disprōportiōnātus, past participle of disprōportiōnāre "to make out of proportion," from Latin dis- dis- + Medieval Latin prōportiōnāre "to compose according to proportions" — more at proportion entry 2

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

disproportionate

adjective

dis·​pro·​por·​tion·​ate ˌdis-prə-ˈpōr-sh(ə-)nət 

-ˈpȯr-

: being out of proportion

disproportionately adverb