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quota

Pronunciation: /ˈkwəʊtə/
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Definition of quota

noun

  • a limited or fixed number or amount of people or things, in particular:
  • a limited quantity of a particular product which under official controls can be produced, exported, or imported:the country may be exceeding its OPEC quota of 1,100,000 barrels of oil per day
  • a fixed share of something that a person or group is entitled to receive or is bound to contribute:they were arrested to help fill the quota of arrests the security police had to make during the crackdown
  • a fixed minimum or maximum number of a particular group of people allowed to do something, e.g. immigrants to enter a country, workers to undertake a job, or students to enrol for a course:the removal of entry quotas encouraged young people to enter universities
  • (in a system of proportional representation) the minimum number of votes required to elect a candidate.
  • (also diocesan quota) (in the Anglican Church) the proportion of the funds of a parish contributed to the finances of the diocese.

Origin:

early 17th century: from medieval Latin quota (pars) 'how great (a part)', feminine of quotus, from quot 'how many'

quota in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of quota in the US English dictionary
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