in reverse proportion

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "in reverse proportion" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a relationship where one quantity increases as another decreases, or vice versa. Example: "The amount of time spent studying is often in reverse proportion to the number of mistakes made on the exam."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

He shouted out the names of countries, and people cheered, often in reverse proportion to the nation's population: "Uruguay!" Some whoops.

The New Yorker

It is interesting that A-rich genes and A-rich CDS are in reverse proportion, i.e. only 32% of genes are A-rich, while for CDS this number equals 66%.

Plosone

I-NPY bound in reverse proportion to the concentration of NPY in standards and samples.

Behavioral and Brain Functions

Generally, precision is in proportion to the seed weight and recall in reverse proportion to the seed weight.

BMC Genomics

VINOs are biased in favor of more divergent samples in reverse proportion to the degree to which the genetic variants in a given sample were known and represented on the array at the time of design.

BMC Genomics

The total numbers of genomic differences between pairs of all known relatives were found to be significantly lower than their respective population means and in reverse proportion to the distance of their consanguinity.

Genome Biology and Evolution

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Among the major branches of the martini's genealogical tree is the Martinez, a gin and sweet vermouth cocktail, mixed in a reverse proportion to the modern martini, that presses a paternity claim called into question by the fact that no one can agree on who fathered the original Martinez, or where or with what.

The New York Times - Style

The length of haplotypes is in the reverse proportion to the recombination rate (r).

Genome Biology and Evolution

This strategy improved quality and accessibility of services among rural facilities and resulted in a reverse proportion of outpatient visits to the three levels of rural public health facilities, from an inverted triangle to an upright one (Fig. 6).

Human Resources for Health

This obstacle can be overcome if we consider only the very rare SNPs, for which probabilities of being shared by chance in nonrelated individuals drop dramatically (in the direct reverse proportion to the frequency of the considered SNPs).

Genome Biology and Evolution

Similar reverse proportion relations between grain size and hardness are observed in indentation experiments at micro-scale in the literature.

Nanoscale Research Letters

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "in reverse proportion", ensure that the context clearly establishes the two quantities being compared. For example, specify "The effort invested was in reverse proportion to the resources available."

Common error

Avoid assuming that a reverse proportion implies a direct causal link. Just because two quantities move in opposite directions doesn't mean one necessarily causes the other.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "in reverse proportion" primarily functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause to describe the nature of a relationship between two quantities. Ludwig AI suggests that it describes how one quantity changes relative to another.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

80%

News & Media

20%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "in reverse proportion" is a grammatically sound and infrequently used expression that signifies an inverse relationship between two entities. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is used to indicate that as one quantity increases, the other decreases. Predominantly found in scientific and news media contexts, it conveys a formal tone. To enhance clarity, ensure the context establishes the compared quantities explicitly, and avoid presuming a direct causal relationship based solely on the inverse proportion. While alternatives like ""inversely proportional"" exist, "in reverse proportion" provides a distinctive, albeit less common, way to articulate this relationship.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

inversely proportional

A more concise and mathematically precise way to express the same idea.

in inverse relation

Emphasizes the inverse nature of the relationship between two quantities.

conversely related

Highlights the switched or opposite relationship between two elements.

in reciprocal relation

Similar to inverse, but may suggest a mutual dependence or influence.

in inverse correlation

Highlights the statistical aspect of the inverse relationship.

negatively correlated

Focuses on the negative relationship between variables, often in a statistical context.

in opposing magnitudes

Highlights the contrasting sizes or degrees of two related entities.

as one increases, the other decreases

A descriptive way of explaining the inverse relationship.

with decreasing magnitude

Focuses more on the diminishing aspect of one quantity as another increases.

contrary to

A simple way to state there is an opposite trend.

FAQs

How can I use "in reverse proportion" in a sentence?

You can use "in reverse proportion" to describe a relationship where one quantity increases as another decreases. For example: "The level of difficulty was "in reverse proportion" to the reward offered".

What's a simpler way to say "in reverse proportion"?

Alternatives include "inversely proportional", "in inverse relation", or "negatively correlated", depending on the specific context and the level of formality required.

Is there a difference between "in reverse proportion" and "in inverse proportion"?

While similar, "in inverse proportion" is often considered more mathematically precise, whereas "in reverse proportion" can be used more broadly to indicate a general opposing trend.

What does "in direct proportion" mean, and how does it relate to "in reverse proportion"?

"In direct proportion" means that as one quantity increases, the other also increases. This is the opposite of ""in reverse proportion"", where one quantity increases as the other decreases.