quantity over quality

/ˈkwɒntɪti ˌoʊvər ˈkwɒləti/
phraseIntermediate prioritizing amount over excellence
informal

Prioritizing the number or amount of something over its quality or excellence.

Fast-food restaurants often emphasize quantity over quality to serve customers quickly.

Fast-food restaurants prioritize serving many customers fast and cheaply, even if the food isn't the best.

In social media, quantity over quality can lead to superficial engagement.

Posting many low-effort posts to get more likes, even if they aren't meaningful.

💡

This phrase is often used critically to describe a focus on volume or speed at the expense of excellence.

Collocations

focus on quantity over qualityprioritize making many things quickly, even if they aren't the bestsacrifice quality for quantitygive up excellence to produce more

Related Phrases

quality over quantityphrase
prioritizing excellence over volume
mass productionphrase
making many identical items quickly

💡Pro Tip

When to use this phrase

Use this phrase when criticizing a focus on speed or volume at the expense of quality.

Gold Rule

Avoid this mindset

Prioritizing quantity over quality can lead to poor results in the long run.

📖Word Origin

This phrase emerged in the 20th century as industrialization and mass production became common, contrasting with traditional craftsmanship.

📝Usage Notes

This phrase is often used in business, manufacturing, and social media contexts to criticize a focus on speed or volume over excellence.

Word Breakdown

quantity
amount or number
root
+
over
instead of
preposition
+
quality
excellence or standard
root
English Dictionary