quantity
noun
quan·ti·ty
ˈkwän-tə-tē 
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 luck.—
H. E. Putsch
H. E. Putsch2
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 general.—Tom Wicker
Tom Wicker3
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
Though the quantity seems excessive, Jefferson likely couldn’t easily access such goods at his primary residence of Monticello, and McClure said his stint in Philadelphia offered an opportunity to stock up for his wife.
—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
3 July 2026
Each product's price is based on the current spot price plus a premium that varies by metal type, product, quantity purchased and market conditions.
—
Jamela Adam,
USA Today,
3 July 2026
Hayden, 53, of Oak Park Heights, started making pies — using her mother’s cold-water pie crust recipe — in massive quantities at Fresh Fields bakery in Stillwater for Thanksgiving 2011; the owner, Dave Michaud, was a friend who had sampled her pie.
—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
2 July 2026
Researchers tested the method using LFP batteries from different manufacturers and scaled up the process to kilogram quantities.
—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for quantity
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
3 July 2026
Each product's price is based on the current spot price plus a premium that varies by metal type, product, quantity purchased and market conditions.
—
Jamela Adam,
USA Today,
3 July 2026
Hayden, 53, of Oak Park Heights, started making pies — using her mother’s cold-water pie crust recipe — in massive quantities at Fresh Fields bakery in Stillwater for Thanksgiving 2011; the owner, Dave Michaud, was a friend who had sampled her pie.
—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
2 July 2026
Researchers tested the method using LFP batteries from different manufacturers and scaled up the process to kilogram quantities.
—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for quantity
Cite this Entry
“Quantity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quantity. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quantity
noun
quan·ti·ty
ˈkwän(t)-ət-ē
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?"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
