Quota Meaning
/ˈkwəʊ.tə/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA proportional part or share; the share or proportion assigned to each in a division.
nounA prescribed number or percentage that may serve as, for example, a maximum, a minimum, or a goal.
Sentence Examples
We almost broke our necks trying to meet the quota.
How can I meet this quota?
The sales team worked hard to meet their monthly quota before Friday.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The sales team had to meet their monthly ____ by the end of the week.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The government set a strict ____ on the number of fishing vessels allowed in the protected waters.
Word Origin & History
From Latin quota pars; see Latin quota.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The episode’s unwillingness to fully commit to the pathos of the Bart-and-Laura subplot is all the more frustrating considering its laugh quota is more than filled by a rollicking B-story that finds Homer, he of the iron stomach and insatiable appetite, filing a lawsuit against The Frying Dutchman when he’s hauled out of the eatery against his will after consuming all of the restaurant’s shrimp (plus two plastic lobsters)."
— 2012 May 27, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “New Kid On The Block” (season 4, episode 8; originally aired 11/12/1992)”, in The Onion AV Club, archived from the original on 30 Jan 2013:
"Captain Olimar: 'We have to work harder on finding some truly valuable treasures. The sooner we hit our quota, the sooner I can get back to my wife and kids on Hocotate.'"
— 2020 October 30, "Olimar's Assignment", in Pikmin 3 Deluxe, Nintendo, Nintendo Switch, day 3: River
"The UAE’s decision had been rumored as a possibility for some time, as it pushed back in recent years against OPEC production quotas it felt had been too low — meaning it wasn’t able to sell as much oil to the world as it had wanted."
— 2026 April 28, Jon Gambrell, “United Arab Emirates will leave OPEC in a blow to the oil cartel”, in AP News, archived from the original on 29 Apr 2026:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The sales team had to meet their monthly ____ by the end of the week.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The government set a strict ____ on the number of fishing vessels allowed in the protected waters.