Terms of a Proportion - Definition and Examples

What are the terms of a proportion? A proportion can be written in a couple of ways as shown below.

• a / b = c / d

• a:b = c:d

The four terms of a proportion are the terms a, b, c, and d. 

More examples showing what the terms of a proportion are

a.

4 / 5 = 12 / 20

The terms of the proportion are 4, 5, 12, and 20.

b.

e / f = g / h

The terms of the proportion are e, f, g, and h.

c.

x / y = x² / y²

The terms of the proportion are x, y, x² and y².