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
Rather than set a perpetual quota for influencer content production, as was often the case with YouTube MCNs that would burn out video makers, Roblox’s middlemen generally obtain a game that already exists and then handle further development themselves.
—
Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 22 Dec. 2025
Moreover, top universities have higher admissions quotas for students from wealthier provinces.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
The magazine is also notorious for having strict deadlines and quotas.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 13 Dec. 2025
Ham Biscuits If a casserole isn't your thing, satisfy your protein quota with these melt-in-your-mouth buttermilk biscuits filled with country ham.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quota
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 22 Dec. 2025
Moreover, top universities have higher admissions quotas for students from wealthier provinces.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
The magazine is also notorious for having strict deadlines and quotas.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 13 Dec. 2025
Ham Biscuits If a casserole isn't your thing, satisfy your protein quota with these melt-in-your-mouth buttermilk biscuits filled with country ham.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quota
Cite this Entry
“Quota.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quota. Accessed 23 Dec. 2025.
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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