Meaning & use
quantity
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
An amount or number of something, usually something that can be measured or counted.
Grammar: Often with of: a quantity of flour; without an article it refers to size or amount in general.
Patterns
- a quantity of something
- in quantity
Add a small quantity of salt to the water.
A large quantity of mail arrived before the holiday.
The shop sells nuts in any quantity you like.
nounusually plural
A large amount or number, often used in the plural.
Grammar: Typically in quantities, with or without of: they bought quantities of rice.
Patterns
- in large quantities
- quantities of something
The factory produces cars in huge quantities.
Quantities of old papers were piled in the attic.
Buying in quantity can lower the price.
nouncountabletechnicalmathematics
Something that can be measured or expressed as a number, especially in science and math.
Grammar: Countable in technical use: a physical quantity such as mass or speed.
Speed is a quantity that has direction as well as size.
In the equation, x represents an unknown quantity.
Temperature and mass are measurable quantities.
Word forms
| plural | quantities |
|---|
Common combinations
- a large quantity of
- A large quantity of grain was stored in the barn.
- in small quantities
- The chemical is safe in small quantities.
- quantity over quality
- Cheap stores often choose quantity over quality.
- unknown quantity
- The new coach is an unknown quantity.
- measure the quantity
- Measure the quantity of liquid before you pour.
- bulk quantities
- The restaurant buys flour in bulk quantities.
Synonyms and how they differ
- amount
- Amount is the everyday word for uncountable things like water or money, while quantity is a little more formal and fits countable or measured things too.
- volume
- Volume refers to the size of a space or the large total of something, such as sales.
- number
- Number is for items you can count one by one, whereas quantity can also describe a measure of something uncountable.
- sum
- Sum is mostly used for money or the result of adding, and is narrower than quantity.
Opposites
Word family
- quantify verb
- to measure or express as a number
- quantifiable adjective
- able to be counted or measured
- quantitative adjective
- based on numbers and amounts
- quantitatively adverb
- in terms of amount
Commonly confused: quantity or quality? quantity or quantum?
quantity vs quality
Quantity is how much or how many; quality is how good something is.
quantity vs quantum
A quantum is the smallest possible unit of something, as in physics, rather than any ordinary amount.
Practice
The recipe calls for a small ___ of vanilla, only a few drops.
Choose one answer.
Quantity means an amount, so a small quantity of vanilla fits. Quality refers to how good something is, and quantum and count do not fit this phrasing.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “quantity”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.