Word of the Day: Quotient

Pronunciation: UK /'kwərfənt/ | US / kwouſent/

Meaning

Quotient is the number you get when one number is divided by another. The word is also used outside mathematics to describe the degree or amount of a particular quality.

Examples for daily usage

  • The quotient of 20 divided by 5 is 4.
  • The researchers calculated the quotient for each group.
  • The film has a surprisingly high entertainment quotient.

Origin and history

Quotient entered English in the 15th century, from the Latin quotiens, meaning "how many times" or "how often". The Latin word comes from quot, meaning "how many".

The spelling developed through Middle English forms such as quocient and quociens. The ending was influenced by Latin forms that looked like present participles.

Cultural significance and modern usage

Although quotient is most strongly associated with mathematics, it has gradually developed a wider figurative use. English speakers can use it to describe the amount or degree of something, particularly when comparing qualities that are difficult to measure precisely.

This is why expressions such as intelligence quotient, emotional quotient, happiness quotient and entertainment quotient are familiar today. In these uses, the word suggests a measurable level or proportion, even when the quality itself is not as straightforward to calculate as a mathematical number.

Interesting facts

  • IQ, or intelligence quotient, is one of the best-known non-mathematical uses of the word.
  • The Latin quot behind quotient is also connected to a large family of English words, including quota, quantity, quote and quotidian.

Examples from literature

  • “Divide your cleverness by ten, and the quotient—dear me!—is able to take a degree.” — George Eliot, Middlemarch
  • “The quotient will be the answer.” — Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 1
  • “Tell me, auspicious damsel, what is the quotient of the product when divided by the same multiplier.” — David Eugene Smith, A Short Account of the History of Mathematics

Synonyms

  • Result
  • Ratio
  • Answer
  • Proportion

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