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
Kuldeep’s 2 for 56 against the Kiwis in the group stage last weekend was the only time one of Rohit’s spinners was taken for more than 50 off their quota.
—
Tim Ellis, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
The inflated dairy tariffs can in theory be charged on American dairy sold to Canada that exceeds the quota.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2025
Its 20 field offices have been tasked with a quota of at least 75 arrests per day, despite limited staffing – even as the agency struggles to find space to hold those placed in detention.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 7 Mar. 2025
Nobody’s eager to break the news to him — particularly not Knight (Katrina Law), who’s hit her yearly quota of awkward conversations with Jimmy and is a little hurt that Victoria didn’t call her about the money.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quota
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Tim Ellis, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
The inflated dairy tariffs can in theory be charged on American dairy sold to Canada that exceeds the quota.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2025
Its 20 field offices have been tasked with a quota of at least 75 arrests per day, despite limited staffing – even as the agency struggles to find space to hold those placed in detention.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 7 Mar. 2025
Nobody’s eager to break the news to him — particularly not Knight (Katrina Law), who’s hit her yearly quota of awkward conversations with Jimmy and is a little hurt that Victoria didn’t call her about the money.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 4 Mar. 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 12 Mar. 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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