Quota

Quota

Noun · /ˈkwəʊtə/ · a fixed share, limit, or proportional allocation assigned to a person or group

Definition

A quota is a fixed quantity, maximum, or proportional share allocated to a particular person, group, or country. It sets a ceiling or a target — the maximum number of immigrants permitted, the minimum number of units a salesperson must sell, the required percentage of seats to be held by a specific group. Quotas impose structure on what would otherwise be unlimited or unequal distribution. They appear in trade law, employment policy, sales management, immigration, and the academic allocation of university places.

Origin

From Medieval Latin quota pars, meaning how large a share — from quotus, of what number, itself from quot, how many. The word entered English in the early 17th century in the sense of one's proportional share or contribution. It shares its Latin root with quotient in mathematics — both derive from the same question: how many?