# quantify

/ˈkwɑntɪˌfaɪ/ (US) · /kwˈɒntɪfˌaɪ/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/quantify
Updated: 2026-05-07

## Definition

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.

For teachers: 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.

## Usage notes

- The verb is transitive and requires a direct object. It is frequently contrasted with 'qualify' in academic and scientific writing.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.