quota
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a fixed number or amount of something that you must reach or are not allowed to go past.
a prescribed number or percentage serving as a maximum, minimum, or goal within a specific timeframe.
Simple“The sales team worked late on Friday to reach their monthly quota.”
In context“The department failed to meet its recruitment quota for the third quarter, leading to a significant backlog in project development.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
a limit on the amount of a specific product that can be brought into a country.
a government-imposed trade restriction that limits the number or monetary value of goods that a country can import or export.
Simple“The government introduced a new quota on imported sugar to help local farmers.”
In context“By imposing a strict quota on textile imports, the administration sought to protect domestic manufacturers from aggressive international competition.”
UsageOften used with the verbs 'impose', 'lift', or 'exceed'.
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
your fair share or part of a total amount.
a proportional part or share assigned to an individual or group in a division of resources.
Simple“Each person in the group was given their quota of food for the week.”
In context“The survivors were forced to survive on a meagre daily quota of water until the rescue party arrived at the camp.”
“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.”
From Latin quota pars; see Latin quota.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.