quantity

noun

quan·​ti·​ty ˈkwän-tə-tē 

plural quantities

1

a

: an indefinite amount or number

b

: a determinate or estimated amount

c

: total amount or number

d

: a considerable amount or number

—often used in plural

generous quantities of luck

—H. E. Putsch

2

a

: the aspect in which a thing is measurable in terms of greater, less, or equal or of increasing or decreasing magnitude

b

: the subject of a mathematical operation

c

: an individual considered with respect to a given situation

an unknown quantity … as attorney general

—Tom Wicker

3

a

: duration and intensity of speech sounds as distinct from their individual quality or phonemic character

specifically : the relative length or brevity of a prosodic syllable in some languages (such as Greek and Latin)

b

: the relative duration or time length of a speech sound or sound sequence

4

: the character of a logical proposition as being universal, particular, or singular

Synonyms

• abundance
• barrel
• basketful
• boatload
• bucket
• bunch
• bundle
• bushel
• carload
• chunk
• deal
• dozen
• fistful
• gobs
• good deal
• heap
• hundred
• lashings [chiefly British]
• lashins
• loads
• lot
• mass
• mess
• mountain
• much
• multiplicity
• myriad
• oodles
• pack
• passel
• peck
• pile
• plateful
• plenitude
• plentitude
• plenty
• pot
• potful
• profusion
• raft
• reams
• scads
• sheaf
• shipload
• sight
• slew
• spate
• stack
• store
• ton
• truckload
• volume
• wad
• wealth
• yard

Examples of quantity in a Sentence

The wine is made in small quantities.

The boss is worried about quantity as well as quality.

The family buys food in quantity.

Recent Examples on the Web

There was also a ridiculous quantity of bread products, including a bag of fifteen bagels, which went untouched. —Patricia Marx, The New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2024

Collectors and aficionados often speculate about production numbers based on serial numbers, quantities gathered into collections, and (most flimsily) each other’s conjecture, but the fact remains that no one really knows exactly how many of these models ever existed or how many exist intact today. —Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 24 Apr. 2024

And does data quality matter more than data quantity? —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2024

Almost all these net-zero pioneers do not consume vast quantities of fossil fuels and are rich in carbon-dioxide-absorbing forests. —Kelly Sims Gallagher, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024

California native monkey flowers belong to both groups, but the perennial types are far more rewarding for three reasons: quantity of blooms, longevity in the garden, and drought tolerance. —Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 20 Apr. 2024

High-dosage products, or low-dosage products taken in greater quantities, can deliver a powerful high. —John Diedrich, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Ashley Okwuosa, The Examination | Amy Yurkanin, Al.com, Journal Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2024

The biggest challenge, though, may be sheer quantity. —Brian Barrett, WIRED, 14 Apr. 2024

He was arrested in March, June, September and December last year and found to have sellable quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine. —Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English quantite, from Anglo-French quantité, from Latin quantitat-, quantitas, from quantus how much, how large; akin to Latin quam how, as, quando when, qui who — more at who

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing quantity

• in quantity
• known quantity
• quantity surveyor
• quantity theory
• unknown quantity

Kids Definition

quantity

noun

quan·​ti·​ty ˈkwän(t)-ət-ē 

plural quantities

1

a

: an amount or number that is not fixed

b

: a great amount or number

buys food in quantity

2

a

: the character of something that makes it possible to measure or number it

b

: something on which a mathematical operation can be performed

multiply the quantity x by y

Etymology

Middle English quantite "amount," from early French quantité (same meaning), derived from Latin quantus "how much?, how large?"