disproportionately

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'disproportionately' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you wish to describe something as either being out of balance with other things, or larger or smaller than expected in relation to other things. For example: "The wealthy are disproportionately represented in the nation's legislature."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Opinion

Politics

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

On Monday, the prime minister's spokesman refused to say if Israel was behaving disproportionately or doing enough to prevent civilian casualties.

The Guardian

Eurozone politicians insist they are better prepared for the Greeks to leave than they would have been five years ago, with a European Central Bank rescue plan in place for member-country governments struggling to finance their debts; but in the short term, market chaos – always a significant risk for the UK, with its disproportionately large financial sector – would be highly likely.

The Guardian - Business

As it has been a long-running complaint of commercial TV that the Academy's awards disproportionately favour BBC shows, you must wonder how ITV feels about having given over two hours of Thursday night peak-time to what became effectively an advert for its biggest rival.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Contrary to the notion that it's all in our heads, Baumeister provides a lengthy review of studies that suggest willpower draws disproportionately on blood glucose, a brain fuel.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The home secretary said aspects of the study's methodology concerned her, saying the research was disproportionately weighted towards London, focused too heavily on rioters and underplayed the role of criminality.

The Guardian

Instead, her pitch was decidedly focused on economic issues such as equal pay, paid family leave and raising the minimum wage, although Clinton pointed out such matters disproportionately affected minority women.

The Guardian

In an observation published after the Tory announcement, the IFS said: "Since the children of those with very large estates are disproportionately towards the top of the income distribution, the gains from this [and in fact any] IHT cut will also go disproportionately to those towards the top of the income distribution".

The Guardian

The introduction of a draconian GP co-payment also disproportionately affects women, as they have more GP visits than men.

The Guardian - Opinion

In a disproportionately large number of what could be termed "social catastrophes", alcohol featured hugely – squatting right at the centre of the mayhem in the manner of a smirking dipsomaniac goblin.

The Guardian - Opinion

The disproportionately high death toll in the Mediterranean, the report concludes, "reflects a dramatic increase in the number of migrants trying to reach Europe", with more than 112,000 irregular migrants detected by Italian authorities in 2014 – almost three times as many as in 2013.

The Guardian

It is a shame, but the reality is that when I attend conferences or meetings about policies such as maternity rights, equal pay or childcare they are disproportionately attended by women.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "disproportionately", ensure you clearly specify what is being affected and what it is being compared to. This will enhance clarity and avoid ambiguity. For example, instead of saying 'The policy disproportionately affects people', specify 'The policy disproportionately affects low-income people compared to high-income individuals'.

Common error

Avoid assuming that because one group is "disproportionately" affected, it is necessarily caused by a specific factor. "Disproportionate" impact indicates a statistical imbalance, but further analysis is needed to establish causation.

Linguistic Context

The adverb "disproportionately" functions to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, indicating that an action or characteristic is present to an unequal or imbalanced degree. Ludwig AI validates its role in modifying the degree to which something affects a particular group or situation.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Opinion

20%

Politics

10%

Less common in

Lifestyle

3%

Business

3%

Books

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The adverb "disproportionately" is a versatile term used to highlight imbalances and inequalities across various contexts. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it effectively modifies verbs, adjectives, and adverbs to indicate an unequal degree of impact. Its neutral register makes it suitable for both formal and informal settings. When employing "disproportionately", ensure clarity by specifying the affected entities and the basis of comparison to maximize communicative effectiveness. Remember to distinguish correlation from causation to avoid misinterpretations. Example usages from Ludwig showcase how "disproportionately" emphasizes the skewed effects of policies and situations, solidifying its relevance in discussions of inequality and imbalance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unequally

Focuses on the lack of equality in distribution or effect.

inordinately

Implies exceeding reasonable limits or degrees.

excessively

Highlights an amount that is more than necessary, normal, or desirable.

unduly

Suggests something is inappropriately or unjustifiably so.

overly

Indicates something is excessively or immoderately so.

lopsidedly

Emphasizes a lack of balance, often in a physical sense but applicable figuratively.

unevenly

Highlights the irregularity or lack of uniformity in distribution.

out of proportion

Describes something that is not in the correct relationship with other things.

skewed

Implies a deviation from accuracy or correctness, leading to an imbalanced representation.

to a greater extent

Indicates a larger degree or measure in comparison to something else.

FAQs

How can I use "disproportionately" in a sentence?

Use "disproportionately" to show that something affects a group more than another. For example, "The tax cuts "disproportionately benefit" the wealthy".

What are some alternatives to using "disproportionately"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "unequally", "inordinately", or "excessively" to convey a similar meaning.

Is it correct to say something is "disproportionately impacted"?

While common, some consider "disproportionately impacted" to be less precise than "disproportionately affected". Using "affected" is generally clearer and more direct.

What does "disproportionately" mean?

"Disproportionately" means that something is out of proportion or balance, affecting one group or thing to a greater degree than another. It indicates an unequal distribution or impact.