Meaning 1technical · 82%
Changing in a matching ratio, so that two quantities increase or decrease together.
Natural examples
Die Kosten steigen proportional zur Nutzungsdauer.
Costs rise in proportion to the duration of use.
Der Graph zeigt eine proportionale Zunahme.
The graph shows a proportional increase.
Wir verteilen die Mittel proportional zur Einwohnerzahl.
We distribute the funds in proportion to population.
Usage note
It often appears with zu + dative: proportional zur Länge. In mathematics it describes a fixed ratio between quantities.
Mini-lesson: proportional
Changing in a matching ratio, so that two quantities increase or decrease together. It often appears with zu + dative: proportional zur Länge. In mathematics it describes a fixed ratio between quantities.
Check your learning
Choose one answer.Which definition matches «proportional»?