Proportioned

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Exhibiting a suitable balance and ratio in size or quantity
2. Exhibiting a state where elements are allocated in a balanced manner that reflects intended dimensions or quantities
3. Showing a balanced and harmonious relation between parts or dimensions

Etymology: "Proportioned" is "proportion" with the suffix "-ed" added to make it an adjective, so the word itself is a plain formation rather than a story of its own. The real history lies in "proportion," which came into English from Old French "proportion," itself from Latin "proportio," meaning a comparative relation or ratio between parts. The Latin noun was built from "pro" (in relation to) and "portio" (a share or portion), so at root it describes a share measured against another share. Its earliest English sense was mathematical. Writers used it for the constant ratio between quantities, the kind that Euclid had formalised, before it broadened to describe the harmony of parts in buildings, bodies and works of art. The adjective "proportioned" follows that broader sense, describing something whose parts fit together in a pleasing or appropriate relation, as in a well-proportioned room.

Synonyms: measured, balanced

Antonyms: disproportioned, uneven