Proportion
Census tables, classroom polls, and commute statistics all speak this noun when a part needs measuring against its whole.
Learn This WordMeaning
A part relative to the whole.
Memory trick
PRO-PORTION: each portion measured pro (for) the whole pie.
Examples
A large proportion commutes daily.
A surprising proportion of the class, nearly half, had never seen snow.
The report notes that the urban proportion keeps climbing every census.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Latin proportio "comparative relation," from pro "for" + portio "share." Every part measured against its whole.
Usage Notes
Data-description workhorse: proportions compare parts to wholes. Follow with "of" and name the whole explicitly.
Real-life contexts
Use in data: "A growing proportion shops online."
Use in essays: "A fair proportion of funds reaches villages."
Use in discussion: "What proportion of your batch prefers night study?"
Common Mistakes
Proportion compares to a whole; ratio compares two parts. "A large proportion of voters" is correct; "a large ratio of voters" is not.
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Part of Speech
noun
Difficulty
intermediateMonthly Searches
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