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Original · left

Ratio (math)

The quantitative relation between two amounts.

First in use: the 1600s
Duplicate · right

Ratio (social media)

When replies to a post vastly outnumber its likes, a sign it was poorly received.

First in use: c. 2017

Ratio / Ratio (math) / Ratio (social media)

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Duplicate share · 12 mo—
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Colour keyGrey · original meaningGreen · duplicate meaningAmber · contested (40–60%)How colours work

Proportions vs. getting ratioed.

Which meaning of Ratio is the original, and which one is the duplicate riding on its name? Ratio (math) came first (the 1600s). Ratio (social media) arrived in 2017. The data below shows which one owns the word now.

Wikipedia pageviews since 2015

Ratio (math)Ratio (social media)
English Wikipedia pageviews since July 2015 load here.

Duplicate's share of attention

Green line = duplicate's % · above 60 it owns the word · below 40 the original does

Share-of-attention line loads here.

The case for each meaning

Sourced definitions, usage stats and quotes

Original · the 1600s

Ratio (math)

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Duplicate · c. 2017

Ratio (social media)

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More duplicated terms

Internet & gaming culture