n.
Pronunciation: pr ə - ' po ̇ r-sh ə n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English proporcion, from Anglo-French, from Latin proportion-, proportio, from pro for + portion-, portio portion ― more at FOR
Date: 14th century
1 : harmonious relation of parts to each other or to the whole : BALANCE , SYMMETRY
2 a : proper or equal share <each did her proportion of the work> b : QUOTA , PERCENTAGE
3 : the relation of one part to another or to the whole with respect to magnitude, quantity, or degree : RATIO
4 : SIZE , DIMENSION
5 : a statement of equality between two ratios in which the first of the four terms divided by the second equals the third divided by the fourth (as in 4/2=10/5) ― compare EXTREME 1b MEAN 1c
– in proportion : PROPORTIONAL 1