Proportional
prəˈpɔːrʃənəl
Definitions
Having a constant ratio or relation in degree or number.
prəˈpɔːrʃənəl
Being in the correct relation or relationship in size, degree, or other measurable property.
The amount of effort you put in should be proportional to the results you want.
💡 Simply: It means things are in the right amount compared to each other, like when you're making cookies and the recipe says to use a certain amount of flour for every egg. If you want to make more cookies, you have to use a proportional amount of flour and eggs.
👶 For kids: When things are proportional, it means they go together in the right way. Like if you have twice as many toys, you need twice as many boxes to put them in.
More Examples
The size of the map is proportional to the real-world terrain.
The salary increase was proportional to the employee's performance.
How It's Used
"The sides of similar triangles are proportional."
"The company's profits were proportional to its investment."
"The punishment should be proportional to the crime."
From Late Latin *proportiōnālis*, from *proportiō* ('proportion'), from *pro* ('for') + *portiō* ('part').
Used extensively in mathematical and scientific texts since the 17th century, evolving to encompass broader applications in economics, law, and other fields.
Memory tip
Think of a scale; if one side increases, the other increases proportionally to maintain balance.
Practice
Word Origin
Root: proportiō