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
There may be other factors, too, our experts said, including quotas and a lack of consequences amid gutted oversight.
—
Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 13 Jan. 2026
With less access to scholarships and aid, some students may elect to choose a different path of study, potentially sinking enrollment below the quotas set by the law enacted last year.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 9 Jan. 2026
There is a 6,000-license quota for Hunt 0110 (Upper Peninsula), an 18,000-license quota for Hunt 0134 (northern Lower Peninsula), a 6,000-license quota for Hunt 0302 (southern Lower Peninsula April season) and an 8,000-license quota for Hunt 0303 (southern Lower Peninsula May season).
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Antigua said the non-binding understanding, which creates no legal obligation on the island-nation, doesn’t commit the government to quotas or automatic acceptance of any persons, and may be terminated at any time.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quota
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Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 13 Jan. 2026
With less access to scholarships and aid, some students may elect to choose a different path of study, potentially sinking enrollment below the quotas set by the law enacted last year.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 9 Jan. 2026
There is a 6,000-license quota for Hunt 0110 (Upper Peninsula), an 18,000-license quota for Hunt 0134 (northern Lower Peninsula), a 6,000-license quota for Hunt 0302 (southern Lower Peninsula April season) and an 8,000-license quota for Hunt 0303 (southern Lower Peninsula May season).
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Antigua said the non-binding understanding, which creates no legal obligation on the island-nation, doesn’t commit the government to quotas or automatic acceptance of any persons, and may be terminated at any time.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quota
Cite this Entry
“Quota.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quota. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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