proportional

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A second principle that limits when deadly force can legally be used is proportionality: Shooting someone is only justified when it is a proportional response to the perceived threat.

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026

This includes Massachusetts, where courts consider factors such as the characteristics of any weapon used when evaluating whether a self-defense shooting was proportional.

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026

Then there’s Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey’s proposal, which would let a married couple deduct the first $75,000 of income, with a proportional cut for individuals.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026

Results under the proportional representation system may take longer.

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

He also noted, though, from Kepler’s laws, that the ‘endeavours of receding from the Sun’ of the planets in their orbits were inversely proportional to the squares of their distances from the Sun.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin