Definitions
01a target or limit
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a fixed number or amount of something that you must reach or are not allowed to go past.
n. a prescribed number or percentage serving as a maximum, minimum, or goal within a specific timeframe.
日本語:割り当て、ノルマ※
“The sales team worked late on Friday to reach their monthly quota.”
“The department failed to meet its recruitment quota for the third quarter, leading to a significant backlog in project development.”
02trade or import limit
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Law Technical
n. a limit on the amount of a specific product that can be brought into a country.
n. a government-imposed trade restriction that limits the number or monetary value of goods that a country can import or export.
日本語:枠※
“The government introduced a new quota on imported sugar to help local farmers.”
“By imposing a strict quota on textile imports, the administration sought to protect domestic manufacturers from aggressive international competition.”
Usage
Often used with the verbs 'impose', 'lift', or 'exceed'.
Synonyms
03a share or portion
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. your fair share or part of a total amount.
n. a proportional part or share assigned to an individual or group in a division of resources.
日本語:分け前※
“Each person in the group was given their quota of food for the week.”
“The survivors were forced to survive on a meagre daily quota of water until the rescue party arrived at the camp.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “quota” in context.
Verb
01. exceed the quota
“Fishermen who exceed the annual quota face heavy fines and the loss of their licenses.”
verb + noun
02. fill a quota
“The university is struggling to fill its quota for international students this semester.”
verb + noun
03. impose a quota on imports
“The government decided to impose a strict quota on steel imports to protect local industries.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
04. meet a quota
“The sales team worked overtime to ensure they would meet their monthly quota.”
verb + noun
Adjective
05. mandatory quota
“The board introduced a mandatory quota for female representation in senior management.”
adj + noun
06. stringent quota
“Environmentalists are calling for more stringent quotas on carbon emissions.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. import quota
“The new trade agreement significantly increased the import quota for agricultural products.”
noun + noun
08. system of quotas
“The recruitment process is governed by a complex system of quotas based on regional demographics.”
noun + of + noun
Real-World Examples
“Trump argues the system, which has production quotas, set pricing, and import quotas on dairy, eggs, and poultry, is "unreasonable" to American farmers who want to sell their products north of the border.” “Marketing boards can adjust quota as producers retire or leave the industry.” “Nations such as New Caledonia (ranked 151) and Indonesia (118) were involved in late-stage qualifying for the 2026 edition and could make it in with higher quotas.” Etymology
From Latin quota pars; see Latin quota.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
- 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.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL 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: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/quota
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR
※ 機械で選んだ訳語です。ネイティブスピーカーによる確認はまだです。
「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0