Meaning & use
quorum
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Meaning
nounsingular
The smallest number of members who must be present at a meeting before official decisions can be made.
Grammar: Usually used with 'a' or 'the' and followed by 'of': a quorum of members. It is not used with a plural verb.
Patterns
- a quorum of something
- have a quorum
- lack a quorum
- without a quorum
The committee could not vote because there was no quorum.
We need a quorum of at least ten members to change the rules.
The meeting was postponed when it became clear that a quorum would not be present.
Word forms
| plural | quorums |
|---|
Common combinations
- lack a quorum
- The board lacked a quorum and had to reschedule.
- have a quorum
- Do we have a quorum to start the official business?
- a quorum of members
- A quorum of members must be present for any binding vote.
- without a quorum
- Decisions made without a quorum are not valid.
Synonyms and how they differ
- minimum attendance
- A general phrase, not a formal term; 'quorum' is the specific legal or official requirement.
Word family
- quorate adjective
- Having enough members present for a meeting to be official (mainly British).
Commonly confused: quorum or quota?
quorum vs quota
A quota is a fixed share or maximum number, such as an import quota; a quorum is about how many people must attend a meeting.
Practice
The meeting was delayed because the group could not get ______.
Choose one answer.
We say 'get a quorum' meaning 'achieve the required number of people'. 'A quota' is a different word about shares; 'a quorum of' needs a following noun; 'quorums' is plural and does not fit after 'a'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “quorum”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.