proportionately

Proportionately is an adverb describing an action, effect, or distribution that occurs in proper proportion to a reference quantity or criterion. It is formed from the noun proportion and the suffix -ly. The term implies that changes or allocations scale in a consistent, balanced way, avoiding excess or deficiency relative to the reference.

In mathematics and science, proportionate change means that a factor applied to one quantity is applied to related quantities by the same factor, producing a consistent scaling. Proportions relate two or more quantities in a fixed ratio, and when a process is proportional, its outcomes change in direct correspondence with input. Concepts such as dose proportionality in pharmacology or allometric scaling in biology illustrate this idea.

In law, policy, and ethics, the principle of proportionality guides actions to be appropriate to the aim and not excessive. A response or restriction is considered proportionate if its benefits justify the costs and if less intrusive means are unavailable. This standard appears in human rights contexts, administrative law, and conflict analysis to balance means and ends.

In everyday usage, proportionately often describes fair distribution or matching effects. For example, costs, benefits, or burdens may be allocated proportionately to factors such as contribution, prevalence, or need. The opposite, disproportionately, signals an imbalance.

See also proportion, proportionality, proportional.