quorum

[ kwawr-uhm, kwohr- ]

/ ˈkwɔr əm, ˈkwoʊr- /

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See synonyms for quorum on Thesaurus.com

noun

the number of members of a group or organization required to be present to transact business legally, usually a majority.

a particularly chosen group.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of quorum

First recorded in1400–50; from Latin quōrum “of whom”; from its use in Latin legal formulas for commissioning justices of the peace

Words nearby quorum

quondam, Quonset hut, quor., quorate, Quorn, quorum, quorum sensing, quot., quota, quotable, quota-hopping

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use quorum in a sentence

There’s a chance that they will not and that the committee doesn’t even have a quorum to hold votes.
The serious political and health risks Republicans are taking in moving forward with the Barrett hearings|Amber Phillips|October 5, 2020|Washington Post
Eventually, a city lawyer told the PAC that Lightfoot and her aides participated in conference calls with a quorum of the City Council on March 26, March 30 and April 6.
When Is a Meeting Not a Meeting and a Lawmaker Not a Lawmaker? When It’s Lori Lightfoot’s Chicago.|by Mick Dumke|September 24, 2020|ProPublica
Judges serve a single four-year term on the Appellate Body, which needs a minimum quorum of three in order to conduct reviews.
Trump’s prolonged assault on WTO means its ruling against Chinese tariffs is essentially moot|eamonbarrett|September 16, 2020|Fortune
SANDAG board members protesting the agency’s voting procedure last week nearly succeeded in depriving the agency of a quorum and denying it the right to make decisions.
Politics Report: Down Goes One Hot-Button Ballot Measure|Andrew Keatts|July 18, 2020|Voice of San Diego

So we drew from that shifting quorum threshold that your vote matters, but some votes just matter more.
How to Make Meetings Less Terrible (Ep. 389 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|May 28, 2020|Freakonomics
Videos of Quorum: Global LGBT Voices talks and panel discussions will be broadcasted on The Daily Beast in coming months.
A Quorum For Change: The Fight For Global LGBT Equality|Justin Jones|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many agencies, such as the NLRB and the FEC, have multimember boards that require a quorum to operate.
Deregulators Lost at the Supreme Court When It Comes to Blocking Presidential Appointees|Aziz Haq|June 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When the Democrats saw what was up, a bunch of them took off for Oklahoma, and New Mexico to prevent a quorum vote.
Sending the Hammer to the Slammer|Eric Alterman|November 25, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Jacob Bernstein talks to a gay quorum about the morning-show double standard.
Five Gays Blast GMA|Jacob Bernstein|November 24, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Norumbegam illi nobis nescio quam, vrbsque & castella nominant, quorum hodie ne vmbra quidem aut ipsa vox extant.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
At the third meeting, however, there was a full quorum, and the business done at the previous meetings was duly confirmed.
Report of the Chief Librarian for the Year 1924-25|General Assembly Library (New Zealand)
A quorum is necessary to do business and a majority of the members of each house is considered as a quorum.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
The governor was further to have the initiative of all measures proposed in the council, five of whom were required for a quorum.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III.|E. Farr and E. H. Nolan
Five of the quorum of the Twelve were in this apostacy; and some in every organized quorum became disaffected.
Biography and Family Record of Lorenzo Snow|Eliza R. Snow Smith

British Dictionary definitions for quorum

quorum

/ (ˈkwɔːrəm) /

noun

a minimum number of members in an assembly, society, board of directors, etc, required to be present before any valid business can be transactedthe quorum is forty; we don't have a quorum

Word Origin for quorum

C15: from Latin, literally: of whom, occurring in Latin commissions in the formula quorum vos…duos (etc) volumus of whom we wish that you be…two

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

Cultural definitions for quorum

quorum

[ (kwawr-uhm) ]

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.

quorum

Origin of quorum

Words nearby quorum

Words related to quorum

How to use quorum in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for quorum

Word Origin for quorum

Cultural definitions for quorum