Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
dictionary thesaurus view recents

quotient

noun
Save Word
quo·​tient | \ ˈkwō-shənt How to pronounce quotient (audio) \

Definition of quotient

1 : the number resulting from the division of one number by another
2 : the numerical ratio usually multiplied by 100 between a test score and a standard value
3 : quota, share
4 : the magnitude of a specified characteristic or quality the celebrity's likability quotient is high

Examples of quotient in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And using toasted bread crumbs in place of Parmesan keeps the dairy quotient down, too. — Melissa Clark, New York Times, "The Meat-Lover’s Guide to Eating Less Meat," 31 Dec. 2019 The rich emotional quotient of the film’s finale, especially as the author takes the stage in one of many raucous curtain calls, should send viewers out on a high. — Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, "Review: Playful, artfully done ‘Cyrano, My Love’ delivers romance with panache," 17 Oct. 2019 Meanwhile, rising pollution levels in NCR continue to dominate headlines and bring down the liveability quotient of the city. — Anuj Puri, Quartz India, "In the Delhi versus Mumbai real estate debate, there’s no easy answer," 19 Dec. 2019 The inclusion of a fried green tomato seemed to be out of place, and the breading quotient was already met with the fried chicken and biscuit. — Lindsey Mcclave, The Courier-Journal, "This biscuit-based breakfast spot is taking over Louisville — and is 'worth every crumb'," 11 Dec. 2019 As a woman with a three-hour round-trip commute and two children under the age of five, there’s a lot in my life that fails to meet any kind of glamour quotient. — Dara Kapoor, Health.com, "Dagne Dover’s Landon Carryall Is a Working Mother’s Must-Have," 8 Nov. 2019 Hey Ya’ amped up its self-pity quotient by a thousand percent while also blunting its hookiness? — BostonGlobe.com, "Pop & Rock," 11 Oct. 2012 The sweet quotient was also tipping the scales on the chicken and waffles plate (four wings and one waffle/$7, eight wings and two waffles $14). — Lindsey Mcclave, The Courier-Journal, "Fried pork chops, top-notch greens shine at this Southern bistro in downtown Louisville," 20 Nov. 2019 This year, too, the fun quotient is high with music and entertainment activities in place. — Sangeeta Tanwar, Quartz India, "Robots, celebrities, and TikTok: Inside Flipkart’s preparations for Big Billion Days," 27 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'quotient.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of quotient

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for quotient

Middle English quocient, modification of Latin quotiens how many times, from quot how many

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about quotient

Time Traveler for quotient

Time Traveler

The first known use of quotient was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Statistics for quotient

Last Updated

20 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Quotient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quotient. Accessed 30 Mar. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for quotient

quotient

noun
How to pronounce quotient (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of quotient

mathematics : the number that results when one number is divided by another
: the degree to which a specific quality or characteristic exists

See the full definition for quotient in the English Language Learners Dictionary

quotient

noun
quo·​tient | \ ˈkwō-shənt How to pronounce quotient (audio) \

Kids Definition of quotient

: the number obtained by dividing one number by another Dividing 10 by 5 gives a quotient of 2.

quotient

noun
quo·​tient | \ ˈkwō-shənt How to pronounce quotient (audio) \

Medical Definition of quotient

: the numerical ratio usually multiplied by 100 between a test score and a measurement on which that score might be expected largely to depend

Keep scrolling for more

More from Merriam-Webster on quotient

Spanish Central: Translation of quotient

Nglish: Translation of quotient for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of quotient for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about quotient

Comments on quotient

What made you want to look up quotient? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

laissez-faire

Listen to the pronounciation of laissez-faire

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

March 2020 Words of the Day Quiz

  • field of crocuses
  • Which is a synonym of rectitudinous?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Citation

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games