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.
Mr. Farage is a known quantity after more than a decade in the spotlight following his leadership of the successful referendum campaign to leave the European Union in 2016.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 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
The comparative heating power of fuels is ascertained by burning them in an apparatus, so constructed, that the heat generated shall expend itself in evaporating or raising the temperature of a known quantity of water.
From Peat and its Uses as Fertilizer and Fuel by Johnson, Samuel W. (Samuel 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.
