See also: Proportion

English edit

Etymology edit

From Middle English proporcion, from Old French proportion, from Latin prōportiō (comparative relation, proportion, symmetry, analogy), from pro (for, before) + portio (share, part); see portion.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

proportion (countable and uncountable, plural proportions)

  1. (countable) A quantity of something that is part of the whole amount or number.
    • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter VI, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
      “I don't mean all of your friends—only a small proportion—which, however, connects your circle with that deadly, idle, brainless bunch—the insolent chatterers at the opera, the gorged dowagers, the worn-out, passionless men, the enervated matrons of the summer capital, []!”
  2. (uncountable) Harmonious relation of parts to each other or to the whole.
  3. (countable) Proper or equal share.
    • 1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. [], 2nd edition, London: [] Francis Ashe [], →OCLC:
      Let the women [] do the same things in their proportions and capacities.
  4. The relation of one part to another or to the whole with respect to magnitude, quantity, or degree.
    the proportion of the parts of a building, or of the body
  5. (mathematics, countable) A statement of equality between two ratios.
  6. (mathematics, archaic) The "rule of three", in which three terms are given to find a fourth.
  7. (countable, chiefly in the plural) Size.

Derived terms edit

Translations edit

Verb edit

proportion (third-person singular simple present proportions, present participle proportioning, simple past and past participle proportioned)

  1. (transitive) To divide into proper shares; to apportion.
    • 1960 April, “The braking of trains”, in Trains Illustrated, page 237:
      In order to proportion the braking force to the weight carried by a wheel - a matter of special importance in the braking of wagons - variable leverage systems are now being introduced in which the end of one axle spring is linked to a control spring in the change-over valve, so automatically varying the leverage exerted by the brake-rod according to whether the wagon is full or empty.
  2. (transitive) To form symmetrically.
  3. (transitive, art) To set or render in proportion.
  4. (transitive, archaic) To correspond to.

Translations edit

Further reading edit

French edit

Etymology edit

Inherited from Old French proportion, borrowed from Latin prōportiōnem.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

proportion f (plural proportions)

  1. proportion

Derived terms edit

References edit

Swedish edit

Noun edit

proportion c

  1. proportion

Declension edit

Declension of proportion 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative proportion proportionen proportioner proportionerna
Genitive proportions proportionens proportioners proportionernas

See also edit

References edit