Proportion

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: pro=por=tion

CIDE DICTIONARY

Proportion, n. [F., fr. L. proportio; pro before + portio part or share. See Portion.].

•  The relation or adaptation of one portion to another, or to the whole, as respect magnitude, quantity, or degree; comparative relation; ratio; as, the proportion of the parts of a building, or of the body.  [1913 Webster]

  "The image of Christ, made after his own proportion."  [1913 Webster]

  "Formed in the best proportions of her sex."  [1913 Webster]

  "Documents are authentic and facts are true precisely in proportion to the support which they afford to his theory."  [1913 Webster]
•  Harmonic relation between parts, or between different things of the same kind; symmetrical arrangement or adjustment; symmetry; as, to be out of proportion.  Rom. xii. 6.  [1913 Webster]
•  The portion one receives when a whole is distributed by a rule or principle; equal or proper share; lot.  [1913 Webster]

  "Let the women . . . do the same things in their proportions and capacities."  [1913 Webster]
•  A part considered comparatively; a share.  [1913 Webster]
•  The equality or similarity of ratios, especially of geometrical ratios; or a relation among quantities such that the quotient of the first divided by the second is equal to that of the third divided by the fourth; -- called also geometrical proportion, in distinction from arithmetical proportion, or that in which the difference of the first and second is equal to the difference of the third and fourth.  [1913 Webster]

Continued proportion, Inverse proportion, etc. See under Continued, Inverse, etc. -- Harmonical proportion or Musical proportion, a relation of three or four quantities, such that the first is to the last as the difference between the first two is to the difference between the last two; thus, 2, 3, 6, are in harmonical proportion; for 2 is to 6 as 1 to 3. Thus, 24, 16, 12, 9, are harmonical, for 24:9::8:3. -- In proportion, according as; to the degree that. “In proportion as they are metaphysically true, they are morally and politically false.” Burke.

Proportion, v. t. [Cf. F. proportionner. Cf. Proportionate, v.].

•  To adjust in a suitable proportion, as one thing or one part to another; as, to proportion the size of a building to its height; to proportion our expenditures to our income.  [1913 Webster]

  "In the loss of an object we do not proportion our grief to the real value . . . but to the value our fancies set upon it."  [1913 Webster]
•  To form with symmetry or suitableness, as the parts of the body.  [1913 Webster]

  "Nature had proportioned her without any fault."  [1913 Webster]
•  To divide into equal or just shares; to apportion.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Proportion, n. & v.
--n.
1 a a comparative part or share (a large proportion of the profits). b a comparative ratio (the proportion of births to deaths).
2 the correct or pleasing relation of things or parts of a thing (the house has fine proportions; exaggerated out of all proportion).
3 (in pl.) dimensions; size (large proportions).
4 Math. a an equality of ratios between two pairs of quantities, e.g. 3:5 and 9:15. b a set of such quantities. c Math. = rule of three; see also direct proportion, inverse proportion.
--v.tr. (usu. foll. by to) make (a thing etc.) proportionate (must proportion the punishment to the crime).

Idiom

in proportion
1 by the same factor.
2 without exaggerating (importance etc.) (must get the facts in proportion).

Derivative

proportioned adj. (also in comb.). proportionless adj. proportionment n.

Etymology

ME f. OF proportion or L proportio (as PRO-(1), PORTION)

THESAURUS

Proportion

accommodate, accord, acreage, adapt, addition, adjust, adjust to, agreement, allegory, allotment, allowance, amount, amplitude, analogousness, analogy, approximation, area, arithmetical proportion, arrangement, array, assimilate, attune, balance, balancing, beauty, big end, bigger half, bigness, bilateral symmetry, bit, bite, body, breadth, budget, bulk, caliber, cancel, capacity, change, chunk, coequality, coextension, commensurability, commission, comparability, comparableness, comparative anatomy, comparative degree, comparative grammar, comparative judgment, comparative linguistics, comparative literature, comparative method, comparativeness, compare, comparing, comparison, compass, compensate, concinnity, concord, conform, conformity, confrontation, confrontment, congruity, consistency, contingent, continued fraction, continuum, contrast, contrastiveness, coordinate, correlation, correspondence, counterbalance, counterpoise, countervail, coverage, cut, cut to, deal, degree, deployment, depth, destiny, diameter, differentiation, dimension, dimensions, disposal, disposition, distinction, distinctiveness, distribution, divide, dividend, division, dole, dynamic symmetry, emptiness, empty space, end, enlarge, equal share, equality, equalize, equate, equation, equilibrium, equipoise, equipollence, equiponderance, equity, equivalence, equivalency, euphony, eurythmics, eurythmy, even, even up, evenness, evolution, expanse, expansion, extension, extent, extrapolation, fate, field, finish, fit, fix, formation, fraction, galactic space, gauge, gear to, geometric ratio, girth, grade, graduate, greatness, group, half, halver, harmonic proportion, harmonize, harmony, height, helping, homologate, homologize, identity, improper fraction, infinite space, integrate, integration, interest, interpolation, interstellar space, interval, inversion, involution, justice, keeping, key to, largeness, layout, leap, length, level, levelness, likeness, likening, lineup, lot, magnitude, make plumb, make uniform, mark, marshaling, mass, match, matching, measure, measuredness, measurement, meed, mess, metaphor, modicum, modify, modulate, moiety, multilateral symmetry, multiplication, notation, notch, nothingness, nuance, opposing, opposition, order, orderedness, organization, outer space, par, parallelism, parity, part, pas, peace, peg, percent, percentage, period, piece, pitch, plane, plateau, point, poise, polarity, portion, practice, pro rata, proportionability, proportionality, proportionate, proportions, prorate, put in tune, quantum, quiet, quietude, quota, quotum, radius, rake-off, range, rank, rate, ratio, ration, reach, reconcile, rectify, reduction, regularity, regularize, regulate, relation, relationship, remove, rhythm, right, round, routine, rule of three, rung, scale, scope, segment, set, set right, setup, shade, shadow, shape, shapeliness, share, similarity, similarize, simile, similitude, size, slice, small share, sort, space, spatial extension, sphere, spread, square, stair, stake, standard, step, stint, stock, strike a balance, structure, subtraction, suitableness, superficial extension, surface, sweetness, symmetricalness, symmetry, sync, synchronize, system, tailor, tract, tranquillity, transformation, tread, trilateral symmetry, trim to, trope of comparison, true, true up, tune, uniformity, void, volume, weighing, width

ROGET THESAURUS

Proportion

Relation

N relation, bearing, reference, connection, concern, cognation, correlation, analogy, similarity, affinity, homology, alliance, homogeneity, association, approximation, filiation, interest, relevancy, dependency, relationship, relative position, comparison, ratio, proportion, link, tie, bond of union, relative, correlative, cognate, relating to, relative to, in relation with, referable or referrible to, belonging to, appurtenant to, in common with, related, connected, implicated, associated, affiliated, allied to, en rapport, in touch with, approximative, approximating, proportional, proportionate, proportionable, allusive, comparable, in the same category, like, relevant, applicable, equiparant, relatively, pertinently, thereof, as to, as for, as respects, as regards, about, concerning, anent, relating to, as relates to, with relation, with reference to, with respect to, with regard to, in respect of, while speaking of, a propos of, in connection with, by the way, by the by, whereas, for as much as, in as much as, in point of, as far as, on the part of, on the score of, quoad hoc, pro re nata, under the head of, of, in the matter of, in re, thereby hangs a tale.

Number

N number, symbol, numeral, figure, cipher, digit, integer, counter, round number, formula, function, series, sum, difference, complement, subtrahend, product, multiplicand, multiplier, multiplicator, coefficient, multiple, dividend, divisor, factor, quotient, submultiple, fraction, rational number, surd, irrational number, transcendental number, mixed number, complex number, complex conjugate, numerator, denominator, decimal, circulating decimal, repetend, common measure, aliquot part, prime number, prime, relative prime, prime factor, prime pair, reciprocal, totient, binary number, octal number, hexadecimal number, permutation, combination, variation, election, ratio, proportion, comparison, progression, arithmetical progression, geometrical progression, harmonical progression, percentage, permilage, figurate numbers, pyramidal numbers, polygonal numbers, power, root, exponent, index, logarithm, antilogarithm, modulus, base, differential, integral, fluxion, fluent, numeral, complementary, divisible, aliquot, reciprocal, prime, relatively prime, fractional, decimal, figurate, incommensurable, proportional, exponential, logarithmic, logometric, differential, fluxional, integral, totitive, positive, negative, rational, irrational, surd, radical, real, complex, imaginary, finite, infinite, impossible, numerically, modulo.

Apportionment

N apportionment, allotment, consignment, assignment, appointment, appropriation, dispensation, distribution, division, deal, repartition, partition, administration, dividend, portion, contingent, share, allotment, fair share, allocation, lot, measure, dose, dole, meed, pittance, quantum, ration, ratio, proportion, quota, modicum, mess, allowance, suerte, apportioning, respective, respectively, each to each.

Symmetry

N symmetry, shapeliness, finish, beauty, proportion, eurythmy, uniformity, parallelism, bilateral symmetry, trilateral symmetry, multilateral symmetry, centrality, arborescence, branching, ramification, arbor vitae, symmetrical, shapely, well set, finished, beautiful, classic, chaste, severe, regular, uniform, balanced, equal, parallel, coextensive, arborescent, arboriform, dendriform, dendroid, branching, ramous, ramose, filiciform, filicoid, subarborescent, papilionaceous, fuji-shaped, fujigata.