Link Centre Dictionary

proportion

pro·por·tion

UK/pɹəˈpɔːʃən/ US/pɹəˈpɔɹʃən/ fairly common
noun (4) verb (2)

noun

1.

the quotient obtained when the magnitude of a part is divided by the magnitude of the whole

Synonyms
2.

magnitude or extent

  • “a building of vast proportions”
Synonyms
3.

balance among the parts of something

Synonyms
Antonyms
4.

harmonious arrangement or relation of parts or elements within a whole (as in a design)

  • “in all perfectly beautiful objects there is found the opposition of one part to another and a reciprocal balance” John Ruskin
Synonyms

verb

1.

give pleasant proportions to

  • “harmonize a building with those surrounding it”
2.

adjust in size relative to other things

Origin

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. By surface analysis, pro- + portion.

Phrases

  • blow out of proportion
  • blow out of proportions
  • compound proportion
  • divine proportion
  • golden proportion
  • harmonic proportion
  • in proportion
  • inverse proportion

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.