quota

noun

quo·​ta ˈkwō-tə 

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

Synonyms of quota

• portion
• share
• part
• percentage
• proportion
• allowance
• allotment

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

The quotas were announced earlier this month. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 27 Nov. 2025

By 2006, the Greenlandic government had introduced quotas for polar bears, narwhals, and musk oxen. —Ben Taub, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025

Ålander believes however that achieving the quotas without resorting to mandatory call-ups is not unrealistic, given the size of Germany’s population. —Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 23 Nov. 2025

As recently as the 1970s, medical schools and hospitals enforced Jewish quotas, deliberately limiting Jews in medicine and science, and effectively denying equitable care to Jewish patients. —Dr. Jacqueline A. Hart, Boston Herald, 22 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin, from Latin quota pars how great a part

First Known Use

1618, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for quota

• chota
• cota
• biota
• iota
• lakota
• nonquota
• ricotta

Kids Definition

quota

noun

quo·​ta ˈkwōt-ə 

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 

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