noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈkwɔː.ɹəm/
US:/ˈkwɔːɹəm/
rhymes with -ɔːɹəm
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:K W AO1 R AH0 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A select body of (usually eminent) justices of the peace, every member of which had to be present to constitute a deciding body; a member of this body. Later more generally: all justices collectively.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The minimum number of members required for a group to officially conduct business and to cast votes, often but not necessarily a majority or supermajority.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
We can discuss the issue tonight but cannot vote until we have a quorum.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Distinguished or essential members of any body; a select company.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
The minimum number of votes that a distributed transaction has to obtain in order to be allowed to perform an operation in a distributed system.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
a gathering of the minimal number of members of an organization to conduct business
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: gathering, assemblage
Narrower terms: minyan
History
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English quorum (c. 1426), from Anglo-Norman quorum, clipped from the Anglo-Latin wording of commissions in which certain persons were specially designated as members of a body by the words quorum vos unum esse volumus ad etc. (“of whom we want you to be one assigned to etc.”). Latin quōrum is the masculine genitive plural of the relative pronoun quī (“who”).
Across languages
Translations
37 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
نِصَاب
(niṣāb)
— minimum number present for official business
Armenian:
քվորում
(kʻvorum)
— minimum number present for official business
Azerbaijani:
yetərsay
— minimum number present for official business
Bulgarian:
кворум
(kvorum)
— minimum number present for official business
Catalan:
quòrum
— minimum number present for official business
Chinese Mandarin:
法定人數 /法定人数
(fǎdìng rénshù)
— minimum number present for official business
Dutch:
quorum
— minimum number present for official business
Esperanto:
kvorumo
— minimum number present for official business
French:
quorum
— minimum number present for official business
Georgian:
კვორუმი
(ḳvorumi)
— minimum number present for official business
German:
Quorum
— minimum number present for official business
Greek:
απαρτία
(apartía)
— minimum number present for official business
Hebrew:
מִנְיָן
(minyán)
— minimum number present for official business
Indonesian:
kuorum
— minimum number present for official business
Irish:
córam
— minimum number present for official business
Japanese:
定数
(teisū)
— minimum number present for official business
Japanese:
定足数
(teisokusū)
— minimum number present for official business
Malay:
korum
— minimum number present for official business
Malay:
cukupbilang
— minimum number present for official business
Persian:
حد نصاب
(hadd-e nesâb)
— minimum number present for official business
Polish:
kworum
— minimum number present for official business
Polish:
quorum
— minimum number present for official business
Portuguese:
quórum
— minimum number present for official business
Romanian:
cvorum
— minimum number present for official business
Russian:
кво́рум
(kvórum)
— minimum number present for official business
Spanish:
cuórum
— minimum number present for official business
Spanish:
quórum
— minimum number present for official business
Swedish:
beslutsmässighet
— minimum number present for official business
Swedish:
kvorum
— minimum number present for official business
Tagalog:
kasapatan
— minimum number present for official business
Thai:
องค์ประชุม
(ong-bprà-chum)
— minimum number present for official business
Thai:
องค์คณะ
(ong-ká-ná)
— minimum number present for official business
Turkish:
nisap
— minimum number present for official business
Turkish:
yeter sayı
— minimum number present for official business
Urdu:
حد نصاب
(hadd-e-nisāb)
— minimum number present for official business
Welsh:
cworwm
— minimum number present for official business
Yiddish:
קוואָרום
(kvorum)
— minimum number present for official business
