Meaning & use
quota
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A set amount of something that a person or group is expected or required to reach, produce or supply.
Grammar: Often followed by of or for: a quota of 50 calls, a quota for each region.
Patterns
- a quota of something
- meet a quota
- fill a quota
Each salesperson has a monthly quota to meet.
The factory reached its production quota two days early.
Teachers were given a quota of places for each class.
nouncountablebusiness
An official limit on the amount or number of people or goods that may be allowed in or taken.
Grammar: Typically used with import, fishing or immigration: an import quota.
Patterns
- a quota on something
- impose a quota
The government set a strict quota on imported steel.
Fishermen must stop once they have reached their daily quota.
The university sets a quota for international students each year.
Word forms
| plural | quotas |
|---|
Common combinations
- meet a quota
- The team worked overtime to meet its quota.
- exceed the quota
- Several farms exceeded the milk quota.
- impose a quota
- The country imposed a quota on sugar imports.
- sales quota
- He missed his sales quota for the second quarter.
- fishing quota
- The fishing quota was cut to protect cod stocks.
- gender quota
- The party introduced a gender quota for its candidates.
Synonyms and how they differ
- allocation
- An allocation is a share that has been handed out, whereas a quota may be a target or a cap.
- target
- A target is a goal you aim for and may miss, while a quota is usually required or enforced.
- limit
- A limit is a maximum only, but a quota can also be a minimum you must reach.
- ration
- A ration is a fixed share of scarce goods given to each person, so it is narrower than quota.
Word family
- quotas noun
- the plural, meaning several fixed amounts or limits
- quota system noun
- a method of dividing places or goods using fixed numbers
- quota-based adjective
- organized according to fixed numbers or limits
Commonly confused: quota or quote?
quota vs quote
A quote is words repeated from someone or a price estimate, while a quota is a fixed amount or limit.
Practice
The agency allowed only a small ___ of visas for seasonal workers this year.
Choose one answer.
A quota is an official limit on numbers, which suits visas. A quorum is the minimum number of members needed at a meeting, and a quotient is the result of division.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “quota”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.