meaning - What's the usage difference between 'quarter' and 'quadrant'?


Are these two words interchangeable in most usages?


My specific example is:



It smells bad in this [quarter/quadrant] of the building this morning.



Could both words be used correctly in this sentence; would they have the same meaning?



Answer



Quadrant is more specific than quarter as a word. A quarter is 25% of anything, whereas quadrant specifically refers to area. So if you're looking to indicate that exactly 25% of the building is stinky, either word would work.


However while both words are semantically correct in your statement, in terms of common usage they're also both a little odd in the sentence you've used them in. Section, part, area or wing would all be much more common terms for building description.


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