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

• loads
• ton
• plenty
• dozen
• chunk
• deal
• abundance
• wealth
• pile
• lot
• slew
• bunch
• volume
• bundle

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

With a double harbor set at the tip of a long and sinewy peninsula on a highly strategic coastline, Knidos grew rich from its favorable natural position and from trading wine, olive oil and vast quantities of amphorae. —Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025

However, possessing large quantities of dangerous fireworks can be prosecuted as a felony in California. —Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2025

Former assistants testified that they were routinely instructed to stock hotel rooms with large quantities of baby oil in preparation for these events. —Amanda Castro joshua Rhett Miller hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025

Better Online Ticket Sales Act (BOTS Act): The FTC is directed to enforce the BOTS Act, which aims to prevent the use of bots to purchase large quantities of tickets for resale at elevated prices. —Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

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?"