Proportionately

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Proportionately" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing relationships or comparisons that involve ratios or relative sizes. Example: "The costs will increase proportionately as the number of units produced rises."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

While Crawley has a proportionately much smaller Muslim population than others on the list, the West Sussex town was in the spotlight last year as the home of the first British jihadi suicide bomber of the Syrian civil war, and of three men jailed in 2007 for a bomb plot investigated by police under Operation Crevice.

The Guardian

The Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, David Anderson, has previously warned about the importance of using schedule 7 proportionately.

The Guardian

States pass anti-terror laws that grant exceptional powers on the strict understanding that terror poses exceptional threats and that such powers will be used proportionately.

The Guardian

That constitutes harassment... Britain and the US must act carefully and proportionately in their pursuit of Mr Snowden and his allies, especially journalists.

The Guardian

Britain's DNA database now holds the samples of 4.4 million people and is proportionately the world's largest.

The Guardian - Opinion

"I strongly believe that stop and search should be used proportionately, without prejudice, and with the support of local communities … and I have asked the Association of Chief Police Officers to look at best practice on stop and search".

The Guardian

However for public confidence to be maintained it is important that the Government, police and security services are seen to abide by the rule of law, and to operate proportionately with proper checks and balances in place.

The Guardian

UK consumers are estimated to spend an average of 25% more on music than people in other developed nations, which has the effect of proportionately greater sales of technology products, according to the research.

The Guardian - Tech

And, compared to its population of 14m people, it has a proportionately high number of refugees - 8.5 for every 1,000 people.

The Guardian

This number, the Golden Mean Long Leg, or GMLL, is used for its quadratic qualities of repeating when squared, proportionately.

WikiHow

Coronary heart disease is still overall the most common single cause of avoidable death, having fallen proportionately more for men than women.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing statistics, ensure the use of "proportionately" enhances clarity and avoids misinterpretation of raw numbers.

Common error

Avoid using "proportionally" interchangeably with "proportionately" in all contexts. While similar, "proportionately" is typically preferred when emphasizing a direct ratio or degree.

Linguistic Context

The word "proportionately" functions as an adverb, modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to indicate that something is done or exists in proportion. Ludwig AI validates this by providing numerous examples showcasing this exact usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Wiki

15%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Science

3%

Encyclopedias

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "proportionately" is a grammatically sound adverb that is very common across diverse written contexts. Ludwig AI confirms its proper usage in examples from reliable sources like The Economist and The Guardian. It serves to precisely communicate relationships involving consistent ratios. When using this term, writers should aim for clarity and be mindful of its difference from the similar term "proportionally" to ensure accuracy. Its frequent occurrence in news and media highlights its general applicability in conveying quantitative relationships.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in proportion

Replaces the adverb with a prepositional phrase, emphasizing the relationship of scale.

correspondingly

Indicates a parallel or similar relationship between two things.

commensurately

Suggests a relationship of measured equivalence or correspondence.

pro rata

Specifically implies a distribution or calculation based on a proportionate share.

relatively

Indicates a comparison is being made, focusing on the degree of something.

in equal measure

Highlights that the elements are balanced or matched by amount.

accordingly

Implies an action or result that is suitable or appropriate based on something else.

in relation to

Emphasizes that there is a connection between different items.

to scale

Specifies maintaining correct relative proportions.

equally

Indicates that something affects everything in the same way.

FAQs

How do I use "proportionately" in a sentence?

"Proportionately" is used to describe how something changes or is distributed in relation to something else, maintaining a consistent ratio. For instance, "The budget was allocated "proportionately" based on each department's needs".

What words can I use instead of "proportionately"?

You can use alternatives like "in proportion", "correspondingly", or "commensurately", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

What's the difference between "proportionately" and "proportionally"?

While similar, "proportionately" is more commonly used to emphasize a direct ratio or degree. In some cases, "proportionally" can serve as a substitute, but "proportionately" is often clearer.

Is it correct to say "the number increased proportionately"?

Yes, it's correct. This indicates that as one quantity increases, another related quantity increases at a rate that maintains a constant ratio. For example, "As sales increased, staffing levels increased "proportionately"".