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Is there a single-word synonym for "quantity-related"?

Also: What is correct - "quantity-related" or "quantity related"? Or are they both equal?

Situation: Imagine I am at a market and I buy a huge amount of apples. I want to ask the seller for a discount, I would use THAT word to let him know I am relating to the quantity.

Edit: I'm not really looking for an answer for the situation part (it's just for imagination of the possible usage of the word). I'm rather looking for a word that could be used in many (independent) areas.

4 Answers 4

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There is no single word meaning quantity-related. In theory that word would be "quantitative", but that has evolved to have a slightly different, more specific meaning.

I can answer the second part of your question. Adjectives made up of two words like that are called compound adjectives. When they are used before a noun, the hyphen is generally optional, but is mandatory when needed to resolve ambiguity. For instance in "a heavy metal detector" it's unclear what "heavy" applies to; it should be "a heavy-metal detector". Leaving out the hyphen in "a quantity-related discount" would look strange. It's never wrong to use a hyphen before a noun, so just always using one is a good rule.

(Edit: I should have said it's never wrong as long as the compound adjective represents a single, separate idea. For example "red-light district" is wrong; "red light district" is a single concept here that should not be broken into components. But "The reaction is carried out under red-light conditions" is correct, for example)

When a compound adjective is NOT before a noun the hyphen should USUALLY be omitted, e.g. "a high-stakes game" but "The game was high stakes". But there are (surprise!) exceptions, for instance "The price is all-inclusive". I'm not sure if there are rules for this or if it's just case by case. I would hyphenate in "The discount was quantity-related". I think if the first word in the compound is not an adjective (ALL-inclusive, QUANTITY-related) it should always be hyphenated.

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  • The hyphenation rule (of thumb) is rather that compound noun phrases are hyphenated when used attributively, as noun adjuncts, but not when used predicatively; whereas compound adjectives (i.e., where the head—usually the last part—is an adjective, rather than a noun) are generally hyphenated in both uses. Commented Dec 29, 2016 at 23:47
  • Thanks. This is a good answer for me. Actually I think the word "quantitative" is appropriate here. I found definition in the Oxford Dictionary and it defines it as: "connected with the amount or number of sth rather than with how good it is". Although the second part could be pointing to comparing quantity and quality but still I think this could be the best word out there. What do you think?
    – quaeched
    Commented Dec 29, 2016 at 23:49
  • "Quantitative" won't be understood in the way you want to use it. The meaning is very much in opposition to "qualitative". The most common use is in "quantitative research" (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantitative_research). The meaning as actually used is really "numbers-related; able to be quantified".
    – ChrisV
    Commented Dec 29, 2016 at 23:57
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Situation: Imagine I am at a market and I buy a huge amount of apples. I want to ask the seller for a discount, I would use THAT word to let him know I am relating to the quantity.

In this situation, you would simply ask for a quantity discount.

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  • That is good, but does not really answer my question. Thanks anyway.
    – quaeched
    Commented Dec 29, 2016 at 23:07
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    Well, then edit your question and clarify. Commented Dec 29, 2016 at 23:08
  • Is there a single-word synonym for "quantity-related"?
    – quaeched
    Commented Dec 29, 2016 at 23:16
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    @AlexanderB. How does this not answer your question? Quantity used as a noun adjunct means precisely “of, relating to, or in the nature of quantity”, which answers the question very accurately. Commented Dec 29, 2016 at 23:41
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    Your answer is, in my opinion, the most universally understood and idiomatic but it would probably help if you'd cut-and-paste the definition from your link, just in case it gets disconnected in the future. Commented Dec 30, 2016 at 0:05
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A phrase I commonly hear for a quantity-related discount is bulk discount. It may depend on where you are in the world, but I'm used to asking for a discount for buying in bulk.

As to whether it's quantity-related or quantity related, I think the former is preferred for a compound adjective, esp. if it's required to make it clear what you are trying to say.

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Broadly speaking, this could be phrased as "in bulk", "bulk lot", "wholesale", and a few other terms. All of these relate to the quantity of an item being purchased (wholesale having a few other meanings around general discounts, such as "wholesale pricing"). Possible sentences include:

  • I want to buy some apples in bulk.
  • I want to buy apples wholesale.
  • I want to buy a bulk lot of apples.

All of these are correct from a merchant's standpoint, at least in the western United States. However, as you notice, most are not a single word, and the one single word choice is ambiguous as to its precise meaning. But, generally speaking, phrases centered around the word "bulk" or "wholesale" are those used to communicate the idea of a discount because of the quantity of items being purchased.

"In Bulk" can be found defined in the Cambridge Dictionary (We buy a lot of our groceries in bulk (= in large quantities) to save money.), when searching Google for the definition of "in bulk" ((especially of goods) in large quantities, usually at a reduced price. "buying tomatoes in bulk from a local farmer"), in the English Oxford Living Dictionaries, and in multiple other locations.

It is difficult to find a formal definition of "Bulk lot", but its usage as a term can be found in this article on buying wholesale or bulk lots on Ebay. Other examples of this usage can be found across the net.

"Wholesale" has a few different forms that imply the large lot, the low price, or both. As a noun, it implies both large quantities and low prices, i.e. [mass noun] The business of selling of goods in large quantities and at low prices, typically to be sold on by retailers at a profit.

As a verb, It signifies selling large quantities at low prices, i.e. Sell (goods) in large quantities at low prices, to be sold on at a profit - ‘imported clothing, which he now wholesales to 20 retail stores’

And as an adverb, it can imply solely large quantities or volumes (As a whole and in an indiscriminate way - ‘That definition appears to be borrowed wholesale from de Boinod's predecessor, Howard Rheingold.’), low pricing as if a lot was purchased in bulk (‘I'm not a distributor, but we do sell wholesale, and I know how big a pain in the neck small orders can be.’), or both large quantities and low prices (Being sold to retailers in large quantities and at low prices - ‘bottles from this region sell wholesale at about £72 a case’)

(All three of these definitions come from The Oxford Living Dictionaries definitions of Wholesale. There is also the adjectival form, such as Wholesale destruction)

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    This answer would be stronger and more useful if you had definitions for the key words, and cited your sources for the definitions. The definitions may seem obvious to you, but they may have subtle differences that will help the user figure out what they need. Commented Dec 30, 2016 at 2:11
  • Thank you for the suggestions. I'm new to the English stack, and can use the suggestions. As soon as I can get a chance, I will get definitions and citations in place. Commented Dec 30, 2016 at 15:54

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