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quorum

 - 6 dictionary results

quo⋅rum

[kwawr-uhm, kwohr-]
–noun
1. the number of members of a group or organization required to be present to transact business legally, usually a majority.
2. a particularly chosen group.

Origin:
1425–75; < L quōrum of whom; from a use of the word in commissions written in Latin specifying a quorum
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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quo·rum   (kwôr'əm, kwōr'-)   
n.  
  1. The minimal number of officers and members of a committee or organization, usually a majority, who must be present for valid transaction of business.

  2. A select group.


[Middle English, quorum of justices of the peace, from Latin quōrum, of whom (from the wording of a commission naming certain persons as members of a body), genitive pl. of quī, who; see kwo- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

quorum [(kwawr-uhm)]

The minimum number of members of a committee or legislative body who must be present before business can officially or legally be conducted. In the United States Congress, for example, either house must have a majority (218 in the House of Representatives, 51 in the Senate) to have a quorum.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

quorum 
1426, in ref. to certain eminent justices of the peace, from L. quorum "of whom," gen. pl. of qui (see who). The traditional wording of the commission appointing justices of the peace translates as, "We have also assigned you, and every two or more of you (of whom [quoram vos] any one of you the aforesaid A, B, C, D, etc. we will shall be one) our justices to inquire the truth more fully." The justices so-named were usually called the justices of the quorum. Meaning "fixed number of members whose presence is necessary to transact business" is first recorded 1616.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Financial Dictionary

Quorum

The minimum acceptable level of individuals with a vested interest in a company needed to make the proceedings of a meeting valid under the corporate charter.

Investopedia Commentary

This clause within a company's charter ensures that there is a sufficient representation of stockholders present at meetings before any changes can be made by the board.

See also: Annual General Meeting

Investopedia.com. Copyright © 1999-2005 - All rights reserved. Owned and Operated by Investopedia Inc.
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: quo·rum
Pronunciation: 'kwOr-&m
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, a select number of English justices of the peace formerly required to be present at sessions to constitute a lawful bench, from Latin, of whom, genitive plural of qui who; from the wording of the commission once issued to justices of the peace in England
: the number (as a majority) of members or officers that must be present to conduct business quorum at the meeting of shareholders>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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