quantum
1 of 2noun
quan·tum ˈkwän-təm 
plural quanta ˈkwän-tə
1
a
: quantity, amount
b
: portion, part
c
: gross quantity : bulk
2
a
: any of the very small increments or parcels into which many forms of energy are subdivided
b
: any of the small subdivisions of a quantized physical magnitude (such as magnetic moment)
quantum
2 of 2adjective
1
: large, significant
a quantum improvement
2
: of, relating to, or employing the principles of quantum mechanics
quantum physics
Synonyms
Noun
- amount
- measure
- quantity
- volume
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun the sum of human knowledge is now so immense that even a highly educated person can hope to absorb only a tiny quantum of it
Recent Examples on the Web
Matthew Humphries, PCMAG, 22 Aug. 2022 In 2018 Congress passed the Export Control Reform Act requiring the Commerce Department to tighten controls on emerging and foundational technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, but critics said progress has been slow. Kate O'keeffe, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2022 Others, such as IBM , Google, and Rigetti Computing, have created quantum computers using superconducting materials. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2022 Nor can the quantum of uranium be understood without a detailed geologic survey. Manavi Kapur, Quartz, 28 June 2022 There’s a lot of questions now about building quantum computers and stuff, which would be a measure of fallout. Elisabeth Garber-paul, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2022 Being able to do so with atomic precision could allow, among other things, creating the kind of structures required for the next generation of ultrapowerful quantum computers which governments and tech companies alike are trying to build. Christopher Mims, WSJ, 22 Jan. 2022 Amazon Web Services, the company’s cloud-computing division, already offers customers access to early-stage quantum computers developed by other companies, including IonQ. Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2021 Beijing has poured money into strategic sectors—semiconductors, biotechnology, quantum computing, renewable energy, and artificial intelligence—that the government considers necessary to protect China from U.S. sanctions. Clay Chandler, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2022 Robert Lea, Popular Mechanics, 7 Sep. 2022 Governments must support business’s transition to the quantum economy. Fortune, 2 Sep. 2022 Useful applications include optical patterning and lithography, as well as optical trapping of ultra cold atoms to create systems such as Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs), which are ideal for simulating quantum effects. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 15 Aug. 2022 Last month, the agency selected its first group of winners: four protocols that, with some revision, will be deployed as a quantum shield. Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 24 Aug. 2022 The lightweight mirror sail will generate thrust by reflecting 90 percent of incoming solar photons—quantum particles of light radiating from the sun. Steven Ashley, Scientific American, 23 Aug. 2022 One of their founders, a quantum physicist, started to work on in-wheel technology all the way back in the late 80s before co-founding Elaphe in 2006. Jennifer Jacobs Dungs, Forbes, 18 Aug. 2022 But in a quantum world, that state changes with time. Chris Lee, Ars Technica, 25 July 2022 Popular Mechanics spoke to three researchers from different fields for their views on a potential quantum consciousness connection. Robert Lea, Popular Mechanics, 16 Aug. 2022 See More
Noun
The hope is that quantum computing can have a major positive impact in a range of fields including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, and finance. Matthew Humphries, PCMAG, 22 Aug. 2022 In 2018 Congress passed the Export Control Reform Act requiring the Commerce Department to tighten controls on emerging and foundational technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, but critics said progress has been slow. Kate O'keeffe, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2022 Others, such as IBM , Google, and Rigetti Computing, have created quantum computers using superconducting materials. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2022 Nor can the quantum of uranium be understood without a detailed geologic survey. Manavi Kapur, Quartz, 28 June 2022 There’s a lot of questions now about building quantum computers and stuff, which would be a measure of fallout. Elisabeth Garber-paul, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2022 Being able to do so with atomic precision could allow, among other things, creating the kind of structures required for the next generation of ultrapowerful quantum computers which governments and tech companies alike are trying to build. Christopher Mims, WSJ, 22 Jan. 2022 Amazon Web Services, the company’s cloud-computing division, already offers customers access to early-stage quantum computers developed by other companies, including IonQ. Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2021 Beijing has poured money into strategic sectors—semiconductors, biotechnology, quantum computing, renewable energy, and artificial intelligence—that the government considers necessary to protect China from U.S. sanctions. Clay Chandler, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2022 Adjective
Many World Interpretations — suggests that for every quantum possibility that exists, a separate and distinct world emerges. Robert Lea, Popular Mechanics, 7 Sep. 2022 Governments must support business’s transition to the quantum economy. Fortune, 2 Sep. 2022 Useful applications include optical patterning and lithography, as well as optical trapping of ultra cold atoms to create systems such as Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs), which are ideal for simulating quantum effects. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 15 Aug. 2022 Last month, the agency selected its first group of winners: four protocols that, with some revision, will be deployed as a quantum shield. Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 24 Aug. 2022 The lightweight mirror sail will generate thrust by reflecting 90 percent of incoming solar photons—quantum particles of light radiating from the sun. Steven Ashley, Scientific American, 23 Aug. 2022 One of their founders, a quantum physicist, started to work on in-wheel technology all the way back in the late 80s before co-founding Elaphe in 2006. Jennifer Jacobs Dungs, Forbes, 18 Aug. 2022 But in a quantum world, that state changes with time. Chris Lee, Ars Technica, 25 July 2022 Popular Mechanics spoke to three researchers from different fields for their views on a potential quantum consciousness connection. Robert Lea, Popular Mechanics, 16 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Latin, neuter of quantus how much
First Known Use
Noun
1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1942, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing quantum
Medical Definition
quantum
noun
quan·tum ˈkwänt-əm
plural quanta ˈkwänt-ə
1
: one of the very small increments or parcels into which many forms of energy are subdivided
a molecule of rhodopsin in the human eye can cause a response to a single quantum of light
2
: one of the small molecular packets of a neurotransmitter (as acetylcholine) released into the synaptic cleft in the transmission of a nerve impulse across a synapse
quanta
noun
as in amounts
a given or particular mass or aggregate of matter the sum of human knowledge is now so immense that even a highly educated person can hope to absorb only a tiny quantum of it Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- amounts
- quantities
- volumes
- numbers
- measures
- coefficients
- degrees
- many
- portions
- bodies