Proportionate
adj.thoughtful, kindprofessional
What it means
Balanced in scale or intensity relative to what prompts or justifies it.
Reach for it when judging whether a response, cost, or share fairly matches its basis
The panel recommended a proportionate remedy for the limited reporting error.
Choose between these
6- everyday
when competing considerations receive fair weight
not when Balanced concerns distribution and may not compare action with cause.
- everyday
if the degree falls within defensible practical limits
not when Reasonable depends on judgment and can conceal an unequal ratio.
- warm
for a restrained response shaped by calm judgment
not when Measured praises manner and restraint but supplies no exact relationship.
- professional
if overall suitability matters more than mathematical balance
not when Appropriate can fit the setting without being proportionate in scale.
- professional
scaled
where size changes systematically with demand or capacity
not when Scaled describes adjustment but not fairness or appropriateness.
- formal
commensurate
when reward, cost, or responsibility should match a measurable basis
not when Commensurate is elevated and usually needs an explicit 'with' comparison.
Said against
3- disproportionate
- excessive
- inadequate
It naturally appears in
3- proportionate response
A written reminder was a proportionate response to the first minor lapse.
- proportionate share
Each district received a proportionate share based on its student population.
- fair and proportionate
The revised fee was fair and proportionate to the service provided.
Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English adjective sense: corresponding in size or degree opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.