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
Within this context, the central flaw of the quota/preference (DEI) supporters has always been their misguided definition of justice in terms of group outcomes, rather than individual cases.
—
Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
India will receive a preferential tariff rate quota on automobile parts and generic pharmaceuticals.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
However, Myers' times were fast enough to secure the first alternate quota spot, NBC reported.
—Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
This was bound to result in agent intrusions into homes and businesses, since there aren’t that many criminal migrants to fill such a quota each day.
—The Wall Street Journal, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quota
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Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
India will receive a preferential tariff rate quota on automobile parts and generic pharmaceuticals.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
However, Myers' times were fast enough to secure the first alternate quota spot, NBC reported.
—Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
This was bound to result in agent intrusions into homes and businesses, since there aren’t that many criminal migrants to fill such a quota each day.
—The Wall Street Journal, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 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 11 Feb. 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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