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
H. E. Putsch2
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
Tom Wicker3
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
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
But Molly White, a computer programmer who is a prominent critic of the crypto industry and tracks such offers, told me that crypto exchanges have seldom, if ever, paid stablecoin holders as high a return rate as Binance is providing for USD1, or offered bonus returns on such large quantities.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2026
Mild symptoms such as digestive upset, nausea, headache, or stomach discomfort could occur if a very large quantity of citrus seeds were ingested.
—Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Friends and family came together in a labor of love to bake vast quantities of homemade cookies, symbolizing community and support for the couple.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Over the years, the state’s mining industry has resulted in large quantities of coal mining waste that are being viewed as having the potential to be reused to extract rare earth elements and other critical minerals.
—Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quantity
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David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2026
Mild symptoms such as digestive upset, nausea, headache, or stomach discomfort could occur if a very large quantity of citrus seeds were ingested.
—Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Friends and family came together in a labor of love to bake vast quantities of homemade cookies, symbolizing community and support for the couple.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Over the years, the state’s mining industry has resulted in large quantities of coal mining waste that are being viewed as having the potential to be reused to extract rare earth elements and other critical minerals.
—Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quantity
Cite this Entry
“Quantity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quantity. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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?"
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