Quantity
'kwɒntɪti
Definitions
A certain or indefinite amount of something.
'kwɒntɪti
An amount or number of something.
We have a large quantity of food for the party.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're baking cookies. 'Quantity' is how many cookies you make – like, a small quantity or a huge quantity! It's simply 'how much' you have.
👶 For kids: How much of something there is, like how many toys you have!
More Examples
The store is selling a limited quantity of the new product.
The recipe requires a small quantity of salt.
How It's Used
"The store sold a large quantity of apples."
"The company needs to produce a greater quantity of goods to meet demand."
"Scientists measured the quantity of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere."
Idioms & expressions
in quantity
In large amounts or numbers.
"The company buys materials in quantity to get a discount."
quality over quantity
It is better to have something of good quality even if there is less of it, rather than a large amount of low quality things.
"When choosing between two courses, he opted for quality over quantity and decided to choose one in which he excelled rather than take two courses where he would only get average marks."
From Old French *quantité*, from Latin *quantitās* ('amount'), from *quantus* ('how much').
The word 'quantity' has been used since the 14th century, initially to describe the 'size' or 'amount' of something, gradually evolving to its modern sense.
Memory tip
Think of a 'quota' – related to a measured amount.
Word Origin
"how much"