known quantity
Americannoun
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Mathematics. a quantity whose value is given: in algebra, frequently represented by a letter from the first part of the alphabet, as a, b, or c.
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any factor, circumstance, etc., that is already accepted or familiar.
Her honesty is a known quantity.
Etymology
Origin of known quantity
First recorded in 1975–80
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A known quantity in the insurance world, Shamieh isn’t quite a household name among Berkshire’s many fans and shareholders.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
Todd Blanche is a known quantity in Trump World.
From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026
As such, Warsh is a known quantity in upper-echelon social, political, and economic circles.
From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026
But several former military and Pentagon officials said that Hegseth was not a known quantity in the Washington defence community.
From BBC • Nov. 13, 2024
And so rare was that approval, as a positive and known quantity, yet so marked in this case, that he usually contrived to share Morna's society with his wife.
From The Shadow of the Rope by Hornung, E. W. (Ernest William)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
