proportion

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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Noun

proportion (countable and uncountable; plural proportions)

1. (countable) A quantity of something that is part of the whole amount or number.
2. (uncountable) Harmonious relation of parts to each other or to the whole.
3. (countable) Proper or equal share.
4. (uncountable) The relation of one part to another or to the whole with respect to magnitude, quantity, or degree.
5. (mathematics, countable) A statement of equality between two ratios.

Derived terms

• in proportion
• proportional
• proportionally
• proportionate
• proportioner

Translations

Translations

Catalan: proporció f. Chinese: Mandarin: 比例 (zh) (bǐlì) Czech: poměr (cs) Esperanto: proporcio (eo) Finnish: osa (fi), osuus (fi), suhde (fi) French: proportion (fr) f. German: Proportion (de) f.

Interlingua: proportion Japanese: 割合 (ja) (わりあい, wariai), 比例 (ja) (ひれい, hirei) Portuguese: proporção f. Russian: пропорция (ru) (propórcija) f. Spanish: proporción (es) f. Turkish: orantı (tr) Vietnamese: tỉ lệ (vi)

Verb

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

1. (art) To set or render in proportion.

External links

• proportion in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• proportion in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911