📒 a part or share of a whole
- Water covers a large proportion of the earth's surface.
- Loam is a soil with roughly equal proportions of clay, sand and silt.
- The proportion of regular smokers increases with age.
📒 the relationship of one thing to another in size, amount, etc.
- proportion of something to something The proportion of men to women in the college has changed dramatically over the years.
- in the proportion… The basic ingredients are limestone and clay in the proportion 2:1.
- in proportion to something The room is very long in proportion to (= relative to) its width.
📒 the correct relationship in size, degree, importance, etc. between one thing and another or between the parts of a whole
- in proportion (to something) You haven't drawn the figures in the foreground in proportion.
- out of proportion (with something) The head is out of proportion with the body.
- an impressive building with fine proportions
📒 the measurements of something; its size and shape
- This method divides the task into more manageable proportions.
- a food shortage that could soon reach crisis proportions
- a room of fairly generous proportions
📒 the equal relationship between two pairs of numbers, as in the statement ‘4 is to 8 as 6 is to 12’
📒 to react to something in a sensible way and not think it is worse or more serious than it really is
- The problem of hooliganism should be kept in proportion. Only a small number of young people act in this way.
📒 larger, more serious, etc. in relation to something than is necessary or appropriate
- They earn salaries out of all proportion to their ability.
- The media have blown the incident up out of all proportion.
- The costs of the plan are out of proportion to the budget available.