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quantity definition

quan·tity (kwänt′ə tē)

noun pl. quantities -·ties

  1. an amount; portion
  2. any indeterminate bulk, weight, or number
  3. the exact amount of a particular thing
  4. a great amount or number to buy a commodity in quantity
  5. that property of anything which can be determined by measurement
  6. Logic that characteristic of a proposition according to which it is classified as universal or particular
  7. Math.
    1. a thing that has the property of being measurable in dimensions, amounts, etc. or in extensions of these which can be expressed in numbers or symbols
    2. a number or symbol expressing a mathematical quantity
  8. Phonet., Prosody the relative length, or duration, of a vowel, continuant consonant, or syllable

Etymology: ME quantite < OFr < L quantitas < quantus, how great < quam, how, how much < IE interrogative base *kwo- > who, what

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms quantity idiom

quantity Synonyms

quantity

n.

amount, number, sum, bulk, mass, measure, extent, abundance, volume, capacity, lot, batch, deal, pile, magnitude, multitude, amplitude, portion, profusion, mountain, load, barrel, shipment, consignment, bushel, supply, ton, ocean, flood, spate, sea, flock, score, swarm, quite a few, army, legion, host, pack, crowd, bunch*, heap*, mess*, peck*, slew*, gob*, scads*, all kinds of*, all sorts of*; see also plenty, size 2.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

quantity Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • labor: The first was the quantity of labor required to man them, the second was their inability to adequately respond to market changes.

Converse of object

  • consume: Windows itself consumes a surprisingly large quantity of RAM.

Adjective modifier

  • large: You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air.

Modifies a noun

  • surveyor: Originally she joined the Civil Service where she met her husband, a quantity surveyor.

Noun used with modifier

  • vector: Gravity, like other forces is a vector quantity.
quantity usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

quantity quotes

All true histories contain instruction; though in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut.

-Bronte«  , Anne

What is commonly called love, namely the desire of satisfying a voracious appetite with a certain quantity of delicate white human flesh.

-Fielding, Henry

When we run over libraries, persuaded of these principles, what havoc must we make? If we take in our hand any volume; of divinity or school metaphysics, for instance; let us ask, Does it contain any abstract reasoning concerning quantity or number? No. Does it contain any experimental reasoning concerning matter of fact or existence? No.Commit itthen tothe flames: for it can contain nothing but sophistry and illusion.

-Humboldt, Alexander, Baron von

quantity quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"quantity." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/quantity>

APA Style

quantity. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/quantity

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