A quota is the limited number or quantity of something which is officially allowed.
The quota of four tickets per person had been reduced to two. [+ of]
Synonyms: share, allowance, ration, allocation More Synonyms of quota
2. countable noun [NOUN noun]
A quota is a fixed maximum or minimum proportion of people from a particular group who are allowed to do something, such as come and live in a country or work for the government.
The bill would force employers to adopt a quota system when recruiting workers.
[Also + of]
3. countable noun
Someone's quotaof something is their expected or deserved share of it.
They have the usual quota of human weaknesses, no doubt. [+ of]
quota in British English
(ˈkwəʊtə)
noun
1.
the proportional share or part of a whole that is due from, due to, or allocated to a person or group
2.
a prescribed number or quantity, as of items to be manufactured, imported, or exported, immigrants admitted to a country, or students admitted to a college
Word origin
C17: from Latin quota pars how big a share?, from quotus of what number
quota in American English
(ˈkwoʊtə)
noun
1.
a share or proportion which each of a number is called upon to contribute, or which is assigned to each; proportional share
2. US
the number or proportion that is allowed or admitted
immigration quotas
Word origin
ML, short for L quota pars, how large a part: fem. of quotus: see quote
Examples of 'quota' in a sentence
quota
Many remain unconvinced by the quota system.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
European producers are protected from lamb and dairy competition by a quota system.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The Swiss voted in a 2014 referendum for quotas on their numbers.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Was there a quota system in the front row?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We must stop getting so uptight about numbers and quotas.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Is it time to introduce a quota?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It will then make the maximum quota towards your happiness.
Lumsden, Robert 23 Steps to Successful Achievement (1972)
The sale of fishing quotas should be made more transparent by publishing a list of quota owners.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Putting in a quota system for them on a board will not.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
They are also keen to ensure they do not breach government quotas on student numbers.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Iceland has also agreed to introduce a quota system.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Should the ownership of fishing quotas be made public?
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Others are introducing stricter offers to ensure they do not admit more students than their government quotas allow.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Each country has a quota of tickets that are supposed to be sold only to its own residents.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Companies are given an annual quota by the government but this is set below their requirement so they always need more.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Beijing has cut export quotas by about 6 per cent annually over the past decade.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Now the fisheries minister wants to solve the problem by increasing the country 's cod quota.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The need for a quota system of some sort is a stand-alone subject to be addressed another day.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
But instead of giving us the quota, the government is choosing to give to industrial fishing businesses.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
These factors led to the introduction of limited production quotas which have raised oil prices in the early 1990s.
Pass, Christopher, Lowes, Bryan Collins Dictionary of Economics (1993)
B clubs could be forced to have quotas of home-grown players and age restrictions.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Now fishermen claim cod is making a comeback and Mine's a pint that quotas force them to throw away much of their catch.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In other languages
quota
British English: quota /ˈkwəʊtə/ NOUN
A quota is the limited number or quantity which is officially allowed.
There is a quota of four tickets per person.
American English: quota
Arabic: نَصِيب
Brazilian Portuguese: cota
Chinese: 配额
Croatian: kvota
Czech: příděl
Danish: kvote
Dutch: quota
European Spanish: cuota
Finnish: kiintiö
French: quota
German: Anteil
Greek: όριο
Italian: quota
Japanese: 割当て
Korean: 할당량
Norwegian: kvote
Polish: kwota
European Portuguese: quota
Romanian: cotă
Russian: квота
Latin American Spanish: cuota
Swedish: kvot
Thai: ส่วนที่กำหนดให้
Turkish: kota
Ukrainian: квота
Vietnamese: chỉ tiêu
All related terms of 'quota'
import quota
the maximum amount of a product that can be imported into a country within a given period of time
quota-hopping
(in the EU) the practice of obtaining the right to catch a part of a country's national quota for fish in European waters by buying licences from its fishermen
quota system
a system which limits or prescribes certain shares , or quotas , etc
quota sampling
a method of conducting market research in which the sample is selected according to a quota-system based on such factors as age , gender , social class , etc
quota share reinsurance
Quota share reinsurance is a form of reinsurance in which the reinsurer accepts a certain percentage of all or certain parts of the business of the reinsured person or company.
Chinese translation of 'quota'
quota
(ˈkwəutə)
n(c)
(= allowance) 定额(額) (dìng'é) (个(個), gè)
(= share) 配额(額) (pèi'é)
(noun)
Definition
the prescribed number or quantity allowed, required, or admitted
The quota of four tickets per person had been reduced to two.
Synonyms
share
I have had more than my share of adventures.
allowance
I weighed out my allowance of sugar.
ration
The meat ration was down to one pound per person per week.
allocation
During rationing we had a sugar allocation.
part
A large part of his earnings went on repaying the bank loan.
cut (informal)
The lawyers, of course, will take their cut of the profits.
limit
proportion
A proportion of the rent is met by the city council.
slice
Fiction takes up a large slice of the publishing market.
quantity
a vast quantity of food
portion
his portion of the inheritance
assignment
whack (informal)
I pay a sizeable whack of capital gains tax.
dispensation
Additional synonyms
in the sense of allocation
During rationing we had a sugar allocation.
Synonyms
allowance,
share,
measure,
grant,
portion,
quota,
lot,
ration,
stint,
stipend
in the sense of allowance
I weighed out my allowance of sugar.
Synonyms
portion,
lot,
share,
amount,
measure,
grant,
pension,
subsidy,
quota,
allocation,
stint,
annuity,
allotment,
remittance,
stipend,
apportionment
in the sense of cut
Definition
a portion or share
The lawyers, of course, will take their cut of the profits.
Synonyms
share,
piece,
slice,
percentage,
portion,
kickback,
rake-off (slang)
Synonyms of 'quota'
quota
Explore 'quota' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of part
Definition
a piece or portion
A large part of his earnings went on repaying the bank loan.
Synonyms
piece,
share,
proportion,
percentage,
lot,
bit,
section,
sector,
slice,
scrap,
particle,
segment,
portion,
fragment,
lump,
fraction,
chunk,
wedge
in the sense of portion
Definition
a part belonging to a person or group
his portion of the inheritance
Synonyms
share,
division,
allowance,
lot,
measure,
quantity,
quota,
ration,
allocation,
allotment
in the sense of proportion
Definition
relative size or extent
A proportion of the rent is met by the city council.
Synonyms
part,
share,
cut (informal),
amount,
measure,
division,
percentage,
segment,
quota,
fraction
in the sense of quantity
Definition
a specified or definite amount or number
a vast quantity of food
Synonyms
amount,
lot,
total,
sum,
part,
portion,
quota,
aggregate,
number,
allotment
in the sense of ration
Definition
a fixed allowance of something that is scarce, such as food or petrol in wartime
The meat ration was down to one pound per person per week.
Synonyms
allowance,
quota,
allotment,
provision,
helping,
part,
share,
measure,
dole,
portion
in the sense of slice
Definition
a share or portion
Fiction takes up a large slice of the publishing market.