in proportion to
idiom
1
: related in size, number, or amount to (something else)
Your share of the profits will be in proportion to the amount of work that you do.
2
: having the correct or appropriate relationship in size, shape, or position to (some other part of the same thing)
The garage is not in proportion to the house.
3
: when compared to the size, shape, or position of (some other part of the same thing)
His head is large in proportion to his body.
Examples of in proportion to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Psychologists who study the nature of ambition have consistently found that aspirations are motivating in proportion to their attainability.
—
Franklin Schneider, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
The intensity of the other parents’ reactions felt in proportion to what was happening on the court.
—Janelle Jones, Parents, 28 Jan. 2026
The analysis of the bones, published on January 13 in the affirms previous assumptions about the species, such as that had long and strong arms that were more similar in proportion to those of apes than to those of modern humans.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 23 Jan. 2026
For example, a majority of mutual funds fail to outperform a simple index fund that buys every stock in proportion to its size.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in proportion to
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Franklin Schneider, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
The intensity of the other parents’ reactions felt in proportion to what was happening on the court.
—Janelle Jones, Parents, 28 Jan. 2026
The analysis of the bones, published on January 13 in the affirms previous assumptions about the species, such as that had long and strong arms that were more similar in proportion to those of apes than to those of modern humans.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 23 Jan. 2026
For example, a majority of mutual funds fail to outperform a simple index fund that buys every stock in proportion to its size.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in proportion to
Cite this Entry
“In proportion to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20proportion%20to. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
