disproportionate

adjective

Definition of disproportionatenext
as in unequal
having or showing a difference that is not fair, reasonable, or expected; too large or too small in relation to something He believes that middle-class people bear a disproportionate share of the tax burden. A disproportionate number of the students are poor.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of disproportionate The state has among the highest rates of households spending disproportionate amounts of their income on housing, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2026 Cybersecurity experts widely criticized the government’s response as disproportionate and poorly scoped. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 June 2026 The Sacramento County Grand Jury says the Natomas Unified School District is not adequately serving students with disabilities, with Black students facing disproportionate impacts. — Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 30 June 2026 But data from the Asia Pacific Network Information Center (APNIC), the regional internet registry, indicates that scammers represent a disproportionate share of its user base. — ABC News, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for disproportionate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disproportionate
  1. unequal
  2. diverse
  3. distinctive
  4. distinct
  5. mixed
  6. several
Adjective
  • Such claims – though widely debunked – have long found support in communities on the margins of one of the world’s most unequal societies, where unemployment and poverty are rife.
    — Ryan Lenora Brown, Christian Science Monitor, 26 June 2026
  • But cartels and dissident groups still control pockets of the country, cocaine exports are at an all-time high and Colombia remains one of the world's most economically unequal countries.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 22 June 2026
Definition of unequal
Adjective
  • The market sees diverse approaches from infrastructure, authorization, and security vendors, alongside consolidation through acquisitions and open-source initiatives.
    — Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • The Adayar Eco Park, a green lung that hugs an estuary, is nearby and worth a visit for its diverse flora and fauna.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 July 2026
Definition of diverse
Adjective
  • Tabby coated cats have a distinctive 'M'-shaped mark on their foreheads.
    — Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 5 July 2026
  • The restaurants are also rated highly for their traditional chile relleno and for the distinctive fish or shrimp tacos with chipotle sauce and mango pico de gallo.
    — Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 July 2026
Definition of distinctive
Adjective
  • Honda's vehicles feature a distinct design language and identity that evolves without deviating from the brand's ethos.
    — Charles Singh, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • Each of them hold their own distinct style and personality, with something for everyone, not just in the glass, but in the atmosphere.
    — Brad Japhe, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of distinct
Adjective
  • Despite its mixed reception and the eventual drama surrounding its star, Karla Sofía Gascón, and the following implosion during awards season, it got nominated for best picture at the 2023 Academy Awards, and Vaccarello got close to Oscar glory.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 6 July 2026
  • Within individual subgroups, results are mixed and don’t show uniform, systemwide gains.
    — Kendall Deas, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
Definition of mixed
Adjective
  • Everyone will be out celebrating America's 250th birthday, and there are several places to ring in the Fourth of July.
    — Michael Guise, CBS News, 2 July 2026
  • Commissioners quickly added several amendments to the ordinance shortly before the vote.
    — Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 2 July 2026
Definition of several

Browse Nearby Words

disproportion
disproportionate
disprovable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disproportionate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disproportionate. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on disproportionate

Nglish: Translation of disproportionate for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All