# quota

Pronunciation: say "KWOH-tuh" US /ˈkwoʊtə/, UK /ˈkwəʊtə/, AUS /ˈkwəʉtə/

## Noun

1. A prescribed number or percentage that can act as a maximum, a minimum, or a goal.
   - Simple: A fixed number or amount set as a goal, a limit, or the most allowed.
   - _Each recruiter must meet a monthly hiring quota or explain the shortfall._
   - _The factory set production quotas for every shift to keep output steady._
2. A proportional part or share: the portion assigned to each person in a division.
   - Simple: A part or share given to each person when something is divided up.
   - _Every shareholder received a quota of the profits based on their investment._
   - _Relief workers divided the supplies into equal quotas for each village._
3. A restriction limiting the import of a particular good to a specific quantity.
   - Simple: A limit on how much of something can be brought into a country.
   - _The new trade deal raised the quota on imported automobiles._
   - _Import quotas on textiles were lifted after years of negotiation._

## Origin

The word comes from the Latin "quota pars," a phrase referring to a share or portion.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/quota (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).