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disproportionately

disproportionately

46 7.1
By an amount that is too large or too small compared with what is normal
  • adverb
  • /ˌdɪsprəˈpɔːrʃənətli/
translation icon : desproporcionadamente
  • The pandemic has disproportionately impacted small businesses rather than large corporations.
  • disproportionately affect
  • disproportionately represented
  • disproportionately high

It's basically, you know, a lot of people have a disproportionately hard life.

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Examples

  • The current stimulus plans have been disproportionately helping the haves, the people owning stocks.

  • In men, depression is disproportionately about lack of control.

  • It's basically, you know, a lot of people have a disproportionately hard life.

  • Instead, funding is given disproportionately to one religious organization while other ones are being denied.

  • The sample used in this study consisted of a disproportionately large number of Asian American students.

    Academic text (2008)
  • And if this tax hurts disproportionately poorer people, then this is not a good solution.

  • The environmental costs are disproportionately borne by those people who can least afford it, such as the urban poor.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Racial and ethnic minorities are going to be disproportionately affected by this.

  • During the Reagan expansion, small firms contributed disproportionately to GNP as well as to employment.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Students of poverty and of color are disproportionately on the receiving end of school suspensions, expulsions, and disciplinary action.

    Academic text (2011)

Synonyms

too
vsdisproportionately
1.0

More than is needed or wanted

emphasizes being mismatched against expected proportion rather than mere excess
too much
vsdisproportionately
1.2

More than is needed or healthy

frames the excess as relative to a normal standard rather than absolute surplus
overly
vsdisproportionately
189 3.5

To a degree that is too much or not wanted

stresses mismatch with typical expectations rather than simple extra amount
out of proportion
vsdisproportionately
54 4.6

Too strong or big compared with what the situation needs

is about being unequal compared to normal expectation rather than mere excess
excessively
vsdisproportionately
32 3.0

To a degree that is more than needed or acceptable

focuses on being out of balance with what is expected rather than just excess
unduly
vsdisproportionately
21 6.9

More than is reasonable or necessary

highlights being disproportionate to a reference point, not only unjustified excess
unreasonably
vsdisproportionately
11 4.1

In a way that is unfair or much too extreme

points instead to a size or degree that does not match expectations
inordinately
vsdisproportionately
  • Formal
7 7.5

To a much greater degree than is normal

frames the issue as being out of proportion to what is normal
unconscionably
vsdisproportionately
2 8.9

In a way that is very unfair or too harsh

focuses on imbalance relative to a norm rather than moral judgement
exorbitantly
vsdisproportionately
1 7.3

Much more expensive than it should be

applies more broadly to any imbalance versus a normal or expected level
overabundantly
vsdisproportionately
6.5

In a way that is more than needed

specifies imbalance against expectation rather than sheer plentifulness

Antonyms

In a way that makes one thing match another in size or amount

How Disproportionate

inordinately
  • Formal
7 7.5
disproportionately
46 7.1
unduly
21 6.9
overly
189 3.5
unequally
4 4.3

Surface Forms

Morphology

disproportionately = disproportionate (semi-transparent) = dis + proportion + ate + ly

This is a standard adverb formation from the adjective 'disproportionate', meaning 'in a disproportionate way'.

Etymology

The word disproportionately breaks into dis- meaning 'not' and proportion meaning a 'correct share' or 'balance', a root you can see in the common word portion. So, if something happens disproportionately, it happens in the wrong amount compared with something else, usually too much or too little.