Meaning & use
proportionately vs proportionally
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Meanings
adverbnot comparable
In a way that changes to match the size, amount, or importance of something else.
Grammar: Usually comes after a verb or before an adjective: costs rose proportionately; proportionately higher costs.
Patterns
- proportionately to something
- proportionately more/less than something
- rise/fall proportionately
Salaries went up, and taxes rose proportionately.
The northern regions received proportionately more funding than the south.
Her share of the blame was proportionately small.
adverbnot comparable
In a way that keeps a correct or balanced relationship between the parts of something.
Grammar: Often used in technical writing about maps, models, or designs.
Patterns
- proportionally represented
- proportionally distributed
- scale proportionally
Smaller states are proportionally represented in the senate.
The image scales proportionally, so it never looks stretched.
Costs were distributed proportionally among the members.
Common combinations
- rise proportionately
- Rents rose proportionately with demand.
- proportionately more
- Older workers took proportionately more sick leave.
- proportionally represented
- Each district is proportionally represented on the council.
- scale proportionally
- The drawing scales proportionally when you enlarge it.
Synonyms and how they differ
- correspondingly
- Focuses on a matching change rather than on size or share; often used with 'and'.
- commensurately
- More formal and slightly stronger; suggests a fair match, often with pay or punishment.
- evenly
- Suggests equal shares, not shares that match size or importance.
Opposites
Word family
- proportion noun
- A part or share compared with the whole.
- proportional adjective
- Changing at the same rate as something else.
- proportionate adjective
- Matching in size or degree; fair and balanced.
- proportionality noun
- The state of being in the right relationship or balance.
Commonly confused: proportionately vs proportionally or proportionally?
proportionately vs proportionally vs proportionally
The two adverbs overlap almost completely. Proportionally is more common in academic and technical writing; proportionately is common in everyday writing about money and blame.
Practice
Which sentence uses the adverb most naturally?
Choose one answer.
'Proportionate to' is the correct adjective-plus-preposition pattern after 'be'. 'Proportionally to' and 'proportionately of' mix an adverb with a preposition where an adjective is needed, and 'proportionally for' does not fit this meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “proportionately vs proportionally”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.