quota

noun

quo·​ta ˈkwō-tə How to pronounce quota (audio)
1
: a proportional part or share
especially : the share or proportion assigned to each in a division or to each member of a body
2
: the number or amount constituting a proportional share
3
: a fixed number or percentage of minority group members or women needed to meet the requirements of affirmative action

Examples of quota in a Sentence

The agency imposes strict fishing quotas. The company has imposed quotas on hiring. He lost his driver's license because he exceeded the quota of traffic violations. The department set new sales quotas in January.
Recent Examples on the Web Though French law bars any explicit quota system, the public broadcaster has made strides in recent years, seeing its percentage of female directors double from 18 to 35%. Ben Croll, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024 The act, which was repealed in 1943 and replaced with a quota system allowing around 105 visas per year, and other laws institutionalized anti-Asian discrimination. Amanda Holpuch, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Nearly 9,000 out of the country’s 13,000 medical interns and residents have been refusing to work for about two weeks to protest a government plan to increase South Korea’s medical school admission quota by about two thirds. Jiwon Song and Hyung-Jin Kim, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 Sources close to the matter told Fox News Digital that employees were given a monthly quota and pressured to upsell frames to veterans that are not covered by the VA – meaning that veterans, if the allegations are true, have had to pay more money out of pocket. Bradford Betz, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2024 Some have said that more doctors may be needed but argue that the scale of the government’s quota increase has no scientific basis. Andrew Jeong, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024 Whitefish and lake trout typically hatch in the spring and feed on plankton, so less plankton would likely cause fish populations to shrink, potentially leading to tighter fishing quotas and higher prices at grocery stores and restaurants. Todd Richmond, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 While Japan, which faces a similar demographic challenge as its neighbor, has raised its quota in recent years, Yoon’s government said South Korea has not increased the number of slots at medical schools for nearly three decades. Shinhye Kang, Bloomberg.com, 27 Feb. 2024 This includes meeting or beating sales quotas, finishing projects early and under budget and higher positive customer comments. Jack Kelly, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quota.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin, from Latin quota pars how great a part

First Known Use

1618, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of quota was in 1618

Dictionary Entries Near quota

Cite this Entry

“Quota.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quota. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

quota

noun
quo·​ta ˈkwōt-ə How to pronounce quota (audio)
1
: a share or part assigned to each member of a group
2
: the number or amount making up a quota

Legal Definition

quota

noun
quo·​ta ˈkwō-tə How to pronounce quota (audio)
1
: a proportional part or share assigned to each in a body
2
: a specific amount that serves as a minimum or maximum
a law against traffic ticket quotas
Etymology

Medieval Latin, from Latin quota pars how great a part

More from Merriam-Webster on quota

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