a proportional share assigned to each participant
"The international treaty set a carbon emission quota that gave every country its specific proportional share based on economic output."
A proportional part or share; the share or proportion assigned to each in a division.
"The new policy ensures that every department receives its fair quota of funding based on student enrollment numbers."
In plain English: A quota is an official limit on how much of something you are allowed to have, buy, or produce within a certain time period.
"The factory failed to meet its monthly production quota for smartphones."
Usage: A quota refers specifically to an officially set limit on how much of something, such as goods imported or employees hired from a specific group, is allowed within a certain period. It differs from general terms like "share" because it implies a mandatory restriction rather than just a voluntary portion.
The word comes from the Latin phrase quota pars, meaning "what part." It entered English to describe a fixed share or portion of something that is due or required.