Word
quantify
Phoneticsquan·ti·fy, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈkwɑntɪˌfaɪ/
UK/kwˈɒntɪfˌaɪ/
Definition
v. to measure something or describe it using numbers. You use this when you want to be exact about how much or how many of something there is.
v. to express or measure the quantity of something; to represent a concept or quality as a numerical value. Often used in research contexts to distinguish between measurable data and descriptive observations.
Examples
“It is difficult to quantify the benefits of a good night's sleep.”
“The study attempts to quantify the impact of social media usage on the attention spans of young children.”
“While the economic costs of the disaster are easy to quantify, the psychological toll on the local community remains much harder to measure with precision.”
Examples
simple
“It is difficult to quantify the benefits of a good night's sleep.”
contextual
“The study attempts to quantify the impact of social media usage on the attention spans of young children.”
complex
“While the economic costs of the disaster are easy to quantify, the psychological toll on the local community remains much harder to measure with precision.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and requires a direct object. It is frequently contrasted with 'qualify' in academic and scientific writing.
Real-World Examples
“It is difficult to quantify the number of haters.” “Alessandro Miani and colleagues use a new method to quantify the incoherence of an individual's beliefs.” Etymology
From Medieval Latin quantifico (introduced by Sir William Hamilton in logic).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/quantify