quantify

American  

[kwon-tuh-fahy] / ˈkwɒn təˌfaɪ /

verb (used with object)

quantified, quantifying

1. to determine, indicate, or express the quantity of.

2. Logic. to make explicit the quantity of (a proposition).

3. to give quantity to (something regarded as having only quality).

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quantify British  

/ ˈkwɒntɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. to discover or express the quantity of

2. logic to specify the quantity of (a term) by using a quantifier, such as all, some, or no

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Other Word Forms

• quantifiable adjective
• quantification noun
• unquantified adjective

Etymology

Origin of quantify

First recorded in 1830–40; from Medieval Latin quantificāre, equivalent to Latin quant(us) “how much” + -ificāre -ify

Compare meaning

How does quantify compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• quantitate vs. quantify

Example Sentences

In this new scientific age, color was something to be cataloged, quantified and, eventually, defined.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Jamie and I would talk every day after he brought this role for me. I didn’t want to be measured on VAR,” which stands for “value at risk,” a statistical measure that quantifies financial risk.

From Barron's

Companies with the biggest fuel bills may have sold off more sharply because they or the analysts covering them have been quicker to quantify the damage and discuss some dark scenarios.

From The Wall Street Journal

The government is also working on a critical mineral policy and planning a new survey to map and quantify its rare earth mineral resources, he said.

From Barron's

It works by ionizing molecules, meaning giving them an electric charge, and then measuring their mass-to-charge ratio to identify and quantify them.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• appraise
• assess
• calibrate
• compute
• evaluate
• gauge
• specify