quantity
noun
quan·ti·ty
ˈkwän-tə-tē 
plural quantities
1
a
: an indefinite amount or number
b
: a determinate or estimated amount
c
: total amount or number
d
: a considerable amount or number
—often used in plural
generous quantities of luck—
H. E. Putsch
H. E. Putsch2
a
: the aspect in which a thing is measurable in terms of greater, less, or equal or of increasing or decreasing magnitude
b
: the subject of a mathematical operation
c
: an individual considered with respect to a given situation
an unknown quantity … as attorney general—Tom Wicker
Tom Wicker3
a
: duration and intensity of speech sounds as distinct from their individual quality or phonemic character
specifically
: the relative length or brevity of a prosodic syllable in some languages (such as Greek and Latin)
b
: the relative duration or time length of a speech sound or sound sequence
4
: the character of a logical proposition as being universal, particular, or singular
Synonyms
- abundance
- barrel
- basketful
- boatload
- bucket
- bunch
- bundle
- bushel
- carload
- chunk
- deal
- dozen
- fistful
- gobs
- good deal
- heap
- hundred
- lashings [chiefly British]
- lashins
- loads
- lot
- mass
- mess
- mountain
- much
- multiplicity
- myriad
- oodles
- pack
- passel
- peck
- pile
- plateful
- plenitude
- plentitude
- plenty
- pot
- potful
- profusion
- raft
- reams
- scads
- sheaf
- shipload
- sight
- slew
- spate
- stack
- store
- ton
- truckload
- volume
- wad
- wealth
- yard
Examples of quantity in a Sentence
The wine is made in small quantities.
The boss is worried about quantity as well as quality.
The family buys food in quantity.
Recent Examples on the Web
Through the atomic rearrangement of CBD, Delta 8 can be made in higher quantities.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
The taste test, while unscientific, aimed to determine quality alongside quantity and pricing at these wholesale clubs.
—Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
The only minor drawback is the relatively higher price for the quantity, potentially necessitating more frequent repurchases.
—Lauren Paige Richeson, Health, 3 Apr. 2024
Our Tips for the Best Ham Biscuits When making ham biscuits, keep these tips in mind for the most consistent results:
Flour quantity: Spoon and level (or weigh) your flour to achieve the same dough texture every time.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024
Two miles below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, in the expansive sea south of Hawaii, sits a vast quantity of nickel, manganese, cobalt and copper—all vital to the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries.
—Sarah Whitmire, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
The fuels, however, are currently available only in small quantities and several times more expensive than fossil fuels.
—Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024
Their star is stachybotrys chartarum, a black mold reported to produce infinitesimal quantities of a toxin similar to botulism.
—Kelly G. Richardson, Orange County Register, 22 Mar. 2024
The label will list the ingredients in order of quantity.
—Jenna Birch, Health, 22 Mar. 2024
Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
The taste test, while unscientific, aimed to determine quality alongside quantity and pricing at these wholesale clubs.
—Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
The only minor drawback is the relatively higher price for the quantity, potentially necessitating more frequent repurchases.
—Lauren Paige Richeson, Health, 3 Apr. 2024
Our Tips for the Best Ham Biscuits When making ham biscuits, keep these tips in mind for the most consistent results:
Flour quantity: Spoon and level (or weigh) your flour to achieve the same dough texture every time.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024
Two miles below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, in the expansive sea south of Hawaii, sits a vast quantity of nickel, manganese, cobalt and copper—all vital to the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries.
—Sarah Whitmire, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
The fuels, however, are currently available only in small quantities and several times more expensive than fossil fuels.
—Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024
Their star is stachybotrys chartarum, a black mold reported to produce infinitesimal quantities of a toxin similar to botulism.
—Kelly G. Richardson, Orange County Register, 22 Mar. 2024
The label will list the ingredients in order of quantity.
—Jenna Birch, Health, 22 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quantity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near quantity
Cite this Entry
“Quantity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quantity. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quantity
noun
quan·ti·ty
ˈkwän(t)-ət-ē
plural quantities
1
a
: an amount or number that is not fixed
b
: a great amount or number
buys food in quantity
2
a
: the character of something that makes it possible to measure or number it
b
: something on which a mathematical operation can be performed
multiply the quantity x by y
Etymology
Middle English quantite "amount," from early French quantité (same meaning), derived from Latin quantus "how much?, how large?"
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