quorum

American  

[kwawr-uhm, kwohr-] / ˈkwɔr əm, ˈkwoʊr- /

noun

1. the number of members of a group or organization required to be present to transact business legally, usually a majority.

2. a particularly chosen group.

---

quorum British  

/ ˈkwɔːrəm /

noun

1. a minimum number of members in an assembly, society, board of directors, etc, required to be present before any valid business can be transacted

   the quorum is forty

   we don't have a quorum

---

quorum Cultural  

1. The minimum number of members of a committee or legislative body who must be present before business can officially or legally be conducted. In the United States Congress, for example, either house must have a majority (218 in the House of Representatives, 51 in the Senate) to have a quorum.

---

Etymology

Origin of quorum

First recorded in 1400–50; from Latin quōrum “of whom”; from its use in Latin legal formulas for commissioning justices of the peace

Explanation

A quorum is not necessarily a majority of members of a group, but the minimum needed in order to conduct business. For example, if two members of a group are absent, there can still be a quorum, meaning the meeting can go on without them. The noun quorum is plural of qui in Latin, meaning "of whom." The first quorum was an eminent group of justices of the peace. The word quorum was used in the commission papers that gave them the authority to act. Over time the current meaning, the minimum number needed to conduct business, was added, but the word still retains the meaning of a select group, as well.

Example Sentences

Quorum sensing relies on chemical signals released by bacteria.

From Science Daily • Feb. 24, 2026

The last five chosen for the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, including three in October 2015 and two in the spring of 2018, fit that description.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 13, 2023

The church said Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, another Quorum member appointed in 1984, also will sit out the weekend meetings as he “continues to recuperate from his recent health challenges.”

From Washington Times • Sep. 29, 2023

“Barbie” could bring in up to $189 million this weekend while “Oppenheimer” is expected to earn $55 million to $64 million, according to the film-tracking service The Quorum.

From New York Times • Jul. 21, 2023

They included Elder Clayton, one of the members of the Quorum of the Seventy.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel