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
Since there’s a quota on these permits, local professional help is advised.
—
William P. Barrett, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
Over time, Congress knuckled under, banning Chinese and limiting Italians and Jews with country-of-origin quotas rigged against them.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2025
While most zones still offer over-the-counter licenses, there is now a Caps system, which places a limited quota on the number of tags available in each unit.
—Jace Bauserman, Outdoor Life, 16 July 2025
Since the 1950s, Congress has removed some of this sprawling federal law’s most discriminatory features, such as racist national origins quotas.
—Daniel Tichenor, The Conversation, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for quota
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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William P. Barrett, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
Over time, Congress knuckled under, banning Chinese and limiting Italians and Jews with country-of-origin quotas rigged against them.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2025
While most zones still offer over-the-counter licenses, there is now a Caps system, which places a limited quota on the number of tags available in each unit.
—Jace Bauserman, Outdoor Life, 16 July 2025
Since the 1950s, Congress has removed some of this sprawling federal law’s most discriminatory features, such as racist national origins quotas.
—Daniel Tichenor, The Conversation, 15 July 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 22 Jul. 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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