quotient

American  

[kwoh-shuhnt] / ˈkwoʊ ʃənt /

noun

Mathematics.

1. the result of division; the number of times one quantity is contained in another.

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quotient British  

/ ˈkwəʊʃənt /

noun

1. 1. the result of the division of one number or quantity by another

   2. the integral part of the result of division

2. a ratio of two numbers or quantities to be divided

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quotient Scientific  

/ kwō′shənt /

1. The number that results when one number is divided by another. If 6 is divided by 3, the quotient can be represented as 2, or as 6 ÷ 3, or as the fraction 6/3.

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Etymology

Origin of quotient

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English quociens, quocient, from Latin quotiēns “how many times”

Explanation

When you add two numbers the answer is called the sum. When you divide two numbers the answer is called the quotient. The quotient of six divided by two is three. Quotient comes from Latin and means "how many times." That makes a lot of sense: if you divide one number by a second, you are figuring out "how many times" the second number goes into the first. Outside of math, use of the word is restricted: the IQ test is short for "Intelligence Quotient," and very rarely you might hear someone ask, "What's my quotient of cupcakes?" when they mean "What is my share?"

Example Sentences

Kuku, one of the first Indian start-ups to tap into this interest, is generating revenue, said Gagan Goyal, partner at venture capital fund India Quotient, which has invested in it.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

"Linda is not afraid," says Shelley Zallis, chief executive of the Female Quotient, which works to advance women in the workplace, and whom Ms Yaccarino has described as a "soul sister".

From BBC • May 28, 2023

Quotient Technology Inc., up 30 cents to $3.62.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 7, 2023

Quotient said last month its revenue dropped from $521.5 million in 2021 to $288.8 million in 2022, while its net operational loss widened from $45.6 million to $76.5 million.

From Reuters • Mar. 7, 2023

The Sum of the products is 65915, which being divided by 7980. gives 8. for the Quotient, and the number 2075. which remains, is the Year of the Julian Period.

From Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society - Vol 1 - 1666 Giving some Accompt of the present Undertakings, Studies, and Labours of the Ingenious in many considerable parts of the World by Oldenburg, Henry