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.

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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

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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.

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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

In a follow-up experiment, they tested their quorum sensing design by programming bacteria to produce a green fluorescent protein, allowing them to confirm that the system activated at the intended moment.

From Science Daily • Feb. 24, 2026

Parliament did not have a quorum when it began its session to vote on Zandanshatar's removal, the president's office said.

From Barron's • Oct. 20, 2025

An August referendum on restarting the reactor, held just three months after it closed, failed to attract a quorum, though the yes votes outweighed the noes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 8, 2025

Frey, he said, had asked his delegates to leave in order to deny quorum.

From Salon • Sep. 30, 2025

Outside the pub, a small crowd was gathered around a quorum of very pissed-off-looking sheep farmers.

From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs