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
More restrictions followed, and eventually animosity toward new immigrants led to the passage of laws in the 1920s creating a quota system tied to nationality.
—
Albert Sun,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
That’s why traditional metrics of sales success—quota attainment at bigger companies or impressive W-2s—aren’t enough on their own.
—
Kate Morgan,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
South Africa’s anti-migrant protest leaders vowed a rolling campaign targeting the country’s commercial hubs after tense nationwide protests ended with activists giving the government six months to enforce mass deportations and workplace quotas.
—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
1 July 2026
Comparing Nutritional Information Both of these melons are nutrient-rich and a good choice as part of your daily fruit quota.
—
Lana Barhum,
Verywell Health,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for quota
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
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Albert Sun,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
That’s why traditional metrics of sales success—quota attainment at bigger companies or impressive W-2s—aren’t enough on their own.
—
Kate Morgan,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
South Africa’s anti-migrant protest leaders vowed a rolling campaign targeting the country’s commercial hubs after tense nationwide protests ended with activists giving the government six months to enforce mass deportations and workplace quotas.
—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
1 July 2026
Comparing Nutritional Information Both of these melons are nutrient-rich and a good choice as part of your daily fruit quota.
—
Lana Barhum,
Verywell Health,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for quota
Cite this Entry
“Quota.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quota. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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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