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
Jokic secured his eligibility for the accolade by playing his 65th game on the last night of the regular season, narrowly meeting the NBA’s quota to appear on awards ballots.
—
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 20 Apr. 2026
However, the quota was tied to a contentious plan to redraw voting boundaries across India, which became a major sticking point.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
Each drone show also counts against SeaWorld’s annual fireworks quota, limiting the number of pyrotechnic displays during the pilot program.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Even as the immigration crisis in Europe exploded during World War II, visas to the US faced severe quotas by countries from around the globe.
—Marcy Thompson, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quota
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Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 20 Apr. 2026
However, the quota was tied to a contentious plan to redraw voting boundaries across India, which became a major sticking point.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
Each drone show also counts against SeaWorld’s annual fireworks quota, limiting the number of pyrotechnic displays during the pilot program.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Even as the immigration crisis in Europe exploded during World War II, visas to the US faced severe quotas by countries from around the globe.
—Marcy Thompson, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 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 28 Apr. 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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