quantity

noun

quan·​ti·​ty ˈkwän-tə-tē How to pronounce quantity (audio)
plural quantities
1
a
: an indefinite amount or number
b
: a determinate or estimated amount
c
: total amount or number
d
: a considerable amount or number
often used in plural
generous quantities of luckH. E. Putsch
2
a
: the aspect in which a thing is measurable in terms of greater, less, or equal or of increasing or decreasing magnitude
b
: the subject of a mathematical operation
c
: an individual considered with respect to a given situation
an unknown quantity … as attorney generalTom Wicker
3
a
: duration and intensity of speech sounds as distinct from their individual quality or phonemic character
specifically : the relative length or brevity of a prosodic syllable in some languages (such as Greek and Latin)
b
: the relative duration or time length of a speech sound or sound sequence
4
: the character of a logical proposition as being universal, particular, or singular

Examples of quantity in a Sentence

The wine is made in small quantities. The boss is worried about quantity as well as quality. The family buys food in quantity.
Recent Examples on the Web The fuels, however, are currently available only in small quantities and several times more expensive than fossil fuels. Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024 Their star is stachybotrys chartarum, a black mold reported to produce infinitesimal quantities of a toxin similar to botulism. Kelly G. Richardson, Orange County Register, 22 Mar. 2024 The label will list the ingredients in order of quantity. Jenna Birch, Health, 22 Mar. 2024 But by stopping bond purchases while the Treasury issues larger quantities of securities to finance the nation’s debt, the Fed has, at the margins, contributed to a supply and demand imbalance. Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024 Streaming is in a weird place across the industry, as everyone seems to be tightening their belts and focusing on quality, not quantity. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2024 My overwhelming impression was of stuff, everywhere, any individual mystique diluted by the sheer exhausting quantity of it all. Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 However, the quantities of chemicals released into a waterbody are not an indicator of risks to human health because these quantities alone do not indicate the extent of exposure to these chemicals, according to the EPA. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 16 Mar. 2024 The bosses brought in recent Chinese immigrants to tend indoor crops, often stealing industrial quantities of water and power from public utility systems for their operations. Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 14 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quantity.' 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

Middle English quantite, from Anglo-French quantité, from Latin quantitat-, quantitas, from quantus how much, how large; akin to Latin quam how, as, quando when, qui who — more at who

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of quantity was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near quantity

Cite this Entry

“Quantity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quantity. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

quantity

noun
quan·​ti·​ty ˈkwän(t)-ət-ē How to pronounce quantity (audio)
plural quantities
1
a
: an amount or number that is not fixed
b
: a great amount or number
buys food in quantity
2
a
: the character of something that makes it possible to measure or number it
b
: something on which a mathematical operation can be performed
multiply the quantity x by y
Etymology

Middle English quantite "amount," from early French quantité (same meaning), derived from Latin quantus "how much?, how large?"

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