quantify

[kwon-tuh-fahy]

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).

quantify

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• quantifiable adjective
• quantification noun
• unquantified adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of quantify¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of quantify¹

C19: from Medieval Latin quantificāre, from Latin quantus how much + facere to make

Example Sentences

In practice, defining and then setting out to quantify the “housing you need” is an exercise fraught with messy data, guesstimation and an inconvenient need for judgement calls.

From Los Angeles Times

“But we had a big record deal — I think if you quantify for inflation, it’s equal to something like $300 million today,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times

But what is much harder to quantify is whether people were spending more frequently, and larger amounts, than would have been the case if they had needed to enter a PIN.

From BBC

But like the George Washington character he famously portrayed on “Saturday Night Live,” the measure and logic of his popularity is hard to quantify yet it’s oddly reasonable to the average American.

From Los Angeles Times

The extent to which her position on the conflict cost her the election is difficult to quantify, but it certainly cost her important votes in Michigan and took up oxygen during her campaign.

From Salon

Related Words

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