proportional

This term describes a balanced relationship where one value changes in a fixed ratio to another. It suggests a sense of fairness or mathematical precision, often used in legal, architectural, or financial contexts to argue that a response or a design element is appropriate given the scale of the situation. It differs from "equal" because it does not require the same amount, but rather the same relative scale. For example, a small fine for a small mistake is proportional, even though the fine is not equal to the mistake itself.