proportion

pro|por|tion [ prə`pɔrʃn ] noun ***

1. ) count a quantity of something that is a part or share of the whole:

proportion of: Only a small proportion of graduates fail to find employment.

a ) uncount the relationship between two or more quantities or parts of a whole:

the proportion of something to something: The proportion of trucks to cars on the road has changed dramatically.

2. ) uncount the correct, most useful, or most attractive relationship between things:

Genovese's work shows a wonderful sense of proportion and design.

in proportion: Everything about the room is beautifully in proportion.

in proportion to/with something: His head is large in proportion to his small frame.

out of proportion (to/with something): The figures in the painting are completely out of proportion with their surroundings.

3. ) uncount the relative importance or seriousness of different things:

a sense of proportion: We need to keep a sense of proportion about what really matters.

4. ) proportions plural the size or shape of something:

a chair of graceful proportions

The tree can grow to massive proportions.

a ) the degree of importance of something:

a disaster of catastrophic proportions

The story began to take on mythic proportions.

blow something up out of (all) proportion

to make a situation seem much worse than it really is:

The incident has been blown up out of proportion.

keep something in proportion

to react to a situation in appropriate way and not make it seem more important than it really is

out of (all) proportion (to something)

if a reaction or result is out of all proportion, it is too strong or serious for the thing or situation that has caused it:

The publicity the exhibition has received is out of all proportion to its actual quality.