disproportionate
adjective
dis·pro·por·tion·ate
ˌdis-prə-ˈpȯr-sh(ə-)nət 
: being out of proportion
a disproportionate share
disproportionately
adverb
Examples of disproportionate in a Sentence
He believes that middle-class people bear a disproportionate share of the tax burden.
A disproportionate number of the students are poor.
Recent Examples on the Web
Situated along the primary transit routes for narcotics originating in Afghanistan, Iran has borne a disproportionate share of the human and financial costs of counternarcotics efforts, including thousands of casualties among its law enforcement personnel.
—
Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
Kohen says the attention paid to heroes on social media may be disproportionate to their actual number, but seeing these stories may create more heroes.
—Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 20 Dec. 2025
Everyone knows that the S&P 500 is dominated by tech stocks—the Magnificent Seven in particular—and their valuations have disproportionate influence over the market as a whole.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 16 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, fossil fuel interests have continued to exert disproportionate influence over policymaking.
—Sir David King, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disproportionate
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Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
Kohen says the attention paid to heroes on social media may be disproportionate to their actual number, but seeing these stories may create more heroes.
—Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 20 Dec. 2025
Everyone knows that the S&P 500 is dominated by tech stocks—the Magnificent Seven in particular—and their valuations have disproportionate influence over the market as a whole.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 16 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, fossil fuel interests have continued to exert disproportionate influence over policymaking.
—Sir David King, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disproportionate
Cite this Entry
“Disproportionate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disproportionate. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
disproportionate
adjective
dis·pro·por·tion·ate
ˌdis-prə-ˈpōr-sh(ə-)nət
-ˈpȯr-
: being out of proportion
disproportionately
adverb
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