PROPORTION

[noun] - a part or share of the whole, or a compared number, amount or levelSee inverse at invert.A proportion is often the number, amount or level of one thing when compared to another.The proportion of women to men at my college was about five women to one man. [C]The proportion of fat to flour is different in pastry and sponge. [C]The chart shows how weight increases in proportion to height (= the increase in weight depends on the increase in height). [U]The level of crime in an area is almost always in direct proportion to the number of unemployed. [U]A proportion can also be the number or amount of a group or part of something when compared to the whole.A higher proportion of women are now working.The report shows that poor families spend a large proportion of their income on food.See inverse at invert.If something is big, small, long, short, etc. in proportion to another related thing it is big, small, etc. compared to the other thing.You're lucky in that your legs are very long in proportion to your height.Her head is ridiculously big in proportion to her body.Proportion also refers to the correct or most attractive relationship between the size of different parts of the same thing.My head was much nearer the camera than the rest of me so I'm all out of proportion."My legs are short." "They're not - they're in proportion to the rest of your body." Proportion is used in particular phrases to mean importance and seriousness.You've got to keep a sense of proportion (= the ability to understand what is important and what is not).It's ridiculous - we have a tiny disagreement and you blow the whole thing up out of proportion (= treat the matter far too seriously)!Of course when the papers get hold of a story it's blown out of all proportion.I think a certain amount of worry about work is very natural but you've got to keep it in proportion (= judge correctly its seriousness).