quota

noun

quo·​ta ˈkwō-tə How to pronounce quota (audio)
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 And then there are officers like Mr. Raymond, who was among 12 police officers who sued the department in 2015 over arrest quotas that the department says do not exist. Jeffery C. Mays, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023 Indeed, the earliest efforts to tackle racial disparities in the workforce began in the 1960s and ’70s, when companies used racial quotas to combat those biases in hiring, Prieto said. Taylor Telford, Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2023 The majority Malays are Muslim by law and enjoy quotas in everything from university seats and jobs to business loans and housing under a decades-old affirmative action program. Time, 11 Oct. 2023 To own a car in Singapore, a buyer must bid for a certificate that now costs $106,000, equivalent to four Toyota Camry Hybrids in the U.S., as a post-pandemic recovery has driven up the cost of the city-state's vehicle quota system to all-time highs. Fox News, 4 Oct. 2023 But that has stressed the VA workers tasked with moving cases along amid a backlog, mandatory overtime, inadequate training and quota demands, according to two former claims processors and four current processors who spoke to NBC News on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation. Melissa Chan, NBC News, 30 Sep. 2023 Still, the group thinks quotas could be much higher. Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2023 Employees describe severe and chronic understaffing, low pay, high vaccination quotas, long stretches without bathroom breaks, abusive management and violent customers. Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 6 Oct. 2023 As long as the agencies had enough funding, wildlife managers would reliably seek age data year after year to update species reports, set harvest quotas, and maintain an accurate view of overall species health. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 28 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quota.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin, from Latin quota pars how great a part

First Known Use

1618, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of quota was in 1618

Dictionary Entries Near quota

Cite this Entry

“Quota.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quota. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

quota

noun
quo·​ta ˈkwōt-ə How to pronounce quota (audio)
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 How to pronounce quota (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on quota

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