quantum

American  

[kwon-tuhm] / ˈkwɒn təm /

noun

• quanta
  plural

1. quantity or amount.

   the least quantum of evidence.

2. a particular amount.

3. a share or portion.

4. a large quantity; bulk.

5. Physics.

   1. the smallest quantity of radiant energy, equal to Planck's constant times the frequency of the associated radiation.

   2. the fundamental unit of a quantized physical magnitude, as angular momentum.

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adjective

1. sudden and significant.

   a quantum increase in productivity.

quantum British  

/ ˈkwɒntəm /

noun

1. physics

   1. the smallest quantity of some physical property, such as energy, that a system can possess according to the quantum theory

   2. a particle with such a unit of energy

2. amount or quantity, esp a specific amount

3. (often used with a negative) the least possible amount that can suffice

   there is not a quantum of evidence for your accusation

4. something that can be quantified or measured

5. (modifier) loosely, sudden, spectacular, or vitally important

   a quantum improvement

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quantum Scientific  

/ kwŏn′təm /

• quanta
  plural

1. A discrete, indivisible manifestation of a physical property, such as a force or angular momentum. Some quanta take the form of elementary particles; for example, the quantum of electromagnetic radiation is the photon, while the quanta of the weak force are the W and Z particles.

2. See also quantum state

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• quantumness
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• quanta
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of quantum

1610–20; noun use of neuter of Latin quantus how much

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Explanation

While quantum refers to a general quantity or size, it is most often used in physics as a measure of the smallest amount of something — usually energy — that something can possess. The plural form is quanta. In the 17th century, the word quantum, from the Latin word for "how much," referred to a portion. Quantum is usually a noun referring to a specific amount of something. However, it can also be used as an adjective, as in the phrase "quantum leap," where it refers to a sudden, important change. Outside of physics, the word might be used with "not" to refer to something insignificant, as in "There's not a quantum of truth in what you say."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

quantum quanta

Born in China, Liu graduated from Cambridge University where he published a paper on quantum chemistry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

The findings demonstrate that even a surface feature only one atom high can have a powerful influence on the movement of quantum vortices.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

Simulating every possible step using quantum mechanics would require immense computing power, so researchers typically focus on a limited selection of reactions believed to be the most important.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

To overcome this limitation, the research team began by using quantum mechanics simulations to build a detailed database containing 152 chemical reactions.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

Zero dwells at the juxtaposition of quantum mechanics and relativity; zero lives where the two theories meet, and zero causes the two theories to clash.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

At wide-open throttle, the raunchiness doesn’t come in wild quanta but in one smoothly linear, incredibly steep exponential function, with no interval for tactility and feedback.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025

While photons are routinely created and measured in laboratories all over the world, individual quanta of vibrations, which are the corresponding particles of sound, phonons, cannot in general be similarly measured.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2023

Quantum theory typically deals with the universe in tiny chunks, or quanta, while general relativity takes the cosmos to be continuous even at the smallest scales.

From Scientific American ● Aug. 19, 2023

Quantum mechanics describes how, in the subatomic realm, everything is broken up in discrete chunks, or quanta, such as the individual particles of light called photons.

From New York Times ● May 8, 2023

Albert Einstein, a twenty-six-year-old patent clerk, showed the physics world that nature worked in quanta rather than in smooth increments.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

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