quantify

verb quan·ti·fy \ ˈkwän-tə-ˌfī \

Updated on: 6 Dec 2017

Definition of quantify

quantified; quantifying

transitive verb

1 a (1) : to limit by a quantifier

(2) : to bind by prefixing a quantifier

b : to make explicit the logical quantity of

2 : to determine, express, or measure the quantity of

—

quantifiable

play \ˌkwän-tə-ˈfī-ə-bəl\ adjective

See quantify defined for English-language learners

Examples of quantify in a Sentence

It is difficult to quantify intelligence.
Doctors have quantified the risks of smoking cigarettes.
It is impossible to quantify the number of Web sites on the Internet.

Recent Examples of quantify from the Web

The antler measurements use the Boone and Crockett Club method - the standard most hunters use to quantify antler size.

— shannon tompkins, Houston Chronicle, "Texas' deer hunting season looks inviting," 1 Nov. 2017
But in the end, their influence is difficult, if not impossible, to quantify.

— kathryn watson, CBS News, "5 things to know about the Senate social media hearing," 31 Oct. 2017
In addition to quantifying the relative levels of American joy, WalletHub shares some fun existential facts.

— tom philip, GQ, "This Map Shows the "Happiest" States In the USA," 12 Sep. 2017
These threats, especially combined, are extremely hard to quantify.

— jennifer s. holland, Smithsonian, "A Whale’s Baleen Bristles Reveal the Story of Its Life," 1 Sep. 2017
The electron's egg shape, if real, would be quantified by what is known as the electric dipole moment (EDM).

— edwin cartlidge, Science | AAAS, "New test of electron’s roundness could help explain universe’s matter/antimatter imbalance," 26 Oct. 2017
Motiv places most importance on heart-rate extremes, showing your resting heart rate in its mobile app and quantifying active minutes as the number of minutes your heart rate was elevated during the day.

— valentina palladino, Ars Technica, "Smart jewelry tested: do beautiful devices have the brains to compete?," 8 Oct. 2017
The Miami Herald reports that Irma’s destruction of the U.S. Virgin Islands cannot even yet be quantified because the storm has destroyed most of its means of communication.

— angela helm, The Root, "Why US Virgin Islanders Say They Feel Like America’s ‘Bastard Stepchildren’ After Hurricane Irma," 13 Sep. 2017
The answer may never be known, in the same way that no Iraqi peacemaker can quantify exactly how or how much peace can be achieved at any potential flashpoint, given the ever-changing array of actors, historic animosities, and ISIS impact.

— scott peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, "In push for post-ISIS reconciliation, Iraqi leaders still a sticking point," 12 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'quantify.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of quantify

Medieval Latin quantificare, from Latin quantus how much

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First Known Use: 1627

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QUANTIFY Defined for English Language Learners

quantify

verb

Definition of quantify for English Language Learners

: to find or calculate the quantity or amount of (something)

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quantifiable

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