quantum meruit

British

/ ˈmɛruːɪt /

as much as he has earned: denoting a payment for goods or services in partial fulfilment of a contract or for those supplied when no price has been agreed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

“We also award the Plaintiff’s counsel fees based on quantum meruit and expenses.”

From Barron's • Dec. 20, 2025

If I can help it, he shall not be on the inquest of my quantum meruit.

From The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 05 (of 12) by Burke, Edmund

The two Floridas and Minorca are more than a quantum meruit for what this Power has done, and the Dutch unfortunately are to suffer for it.

From The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution Volume 7. by Various

In respect to foreigners the only guide is that of "quantum meruit."

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Belcher, Edward, Sir

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023