quorum - Word of the Day - 29/03/16

quorum

noun

Pronunciation

KWOR-um

Definition

1 -  a select group
2 - the number (such as a majority) of officers or members of a body that when duly assembled is legally competent to transact business

Examples

The organization's charter states that a quorum of at least seven board members must be present before any voting can take place.

"The City Council meeting that was supposed to continue from Tuesday night didn't happen after only one member showed up, leaving the council without a quorum." — Garrett Brnger, KSAT.com (San Antonio, Texas), 17 Feb. 2016

Did You Know?

In Latin, quorum means "of whom" and is itself the genitive plural of qui, meaning "who." At one time, Latin quorum was used in the wording of the commissions issued to justices of the peace in England. In English, quorum initially referred to the number of justices of the peace who had to be present to constitute a legally sufficient bench. That sense is now rare, but it's not surprising that quorum has come to mean both "a select group" and "the minimum people required in order to conduct business."

Quiz

Fill in the blanks to create a word formed from Latin qui that can refer to a philosophical point to be disputed or to a combination of familiar melodies: qu _ _ li _ _ t.

Merriam-Webster