quotient

American  

[kwoh-shuhnt] / ˈkwoʊ ʃənt /

noun

Mathematics.

quotients plural

1. the result of division; the number of times one quantity is contained in another.

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quotient British  

/ ˈkwəʊʃənt /

noun

1. 1. the result of the division of one number or quantity by another

   2. the integral part of the result of division

2. a ratio of two numbers or quantities to be divided

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quotient Scientific  

/ kwō′shənt /

1. The number that results when one number is divided by another. If 6 is divided by 3, the quotient can be represented as 2, or as 6 ÷ 3, or as the fraction 6/3.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• quotients
  plural

Etymology

Origin of quotient

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English quociens, quocient, from Latin quotiēns “how many times”

Explanation

When you add two numbers the answer is called the sum. When you divide two numbers the answer is called the quotient. The quotient of six divided by two is three. Quotient comes from Latin and means "how many times." That makes a lot of sense: if you divide one number by a second, you are figuring out "how many times" the second number goes into the first. Outside of math, use of the word is restricted: the IQ test is short for "Intelligence Quotient," and very rarely you might hear someone ask, "What's my quotient of cupcakes?" when they mean "What is my share?"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

quotient quotients

As is the company’s way, the surprise-and-delight quotient is high.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026

But their all-pervading architectural shadow over the city is perhaps why Art Deco is "seeped into the larger public imagination, and remains relevant in Mumbai's emotional quotient", Mr Kumar added.

From BBC ● Nov. 22, 2025

The British automaker, known for two-seat convertibles with a high coolness quotient, serves this vehicle up with scissor doors and rear haunches that convey power.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 26, 2024

So, you can rest assured that the cheese quotient of this dip is . . . high.

From Salon ● Feb. 9, 2024

In just over three years of law practice I had become one of those people for whom such small events could make a big difference in my joy quotient.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

People with self-reported low intelligence quotients describe struggling with self-esteem issues and romantic hardships.

From Salon ● Dec. 28, 2024

Directorial impulses that seem designed to ratchet up the audience-pleasing quotients of some of his most famous plays, but that in one way or another unbalance them and diminish their inherent power.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 22, 2022

The task where I rated the patriotic quotients of photographs was posted by an outfit called Vision.

From New York Times ● Nov. 15, 2019

For purposes of this introductory text, it will suffice to use the simplified equations and to disregard units when computing Q. In most cases, this will introduce only modest errors in calculations involving reaction quotients.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

She was planning to publish a paper about the effects of Dad’s teaching methods on our intelligence quotients.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey