throughput
THROO-put
/ˈθruː.pʊt/
The rate at which a system generates its products or services over a specific period of time.
While 'output' is a total amount, 'throughput' is a measure of speed and flow through the entire system.
The story behind the word. First appearing in the 1920s, it combined 'through' and 'put' to describe the processing of materials in a refinery or factory.
Word relationships
- flow rate: Flow rate is often used for liquids; throughput is used for data, products, or people.
- stagnation: Stagnation is a lack of movement or flow, the opposite of high throughput.
Commonly confused with
- output: Output is the total 'stuff' produced; throughput is how fast the 'stuff' moves through the system.
Collocations
- maximum throughput
- data throughput
- improve throughput
- system throughput
Example sentences
- "By fixing the bottleneck, we were able to double the factory's throughput." Manufacturing
- "The router's throughput was limited by the old cables." Networking
Memory hook
Think of a 'Through-way' (highway)—throughput is how many cars pass through a toll booth every minute. Speed of the flow.
When not to use
Don't use it for a static count; it must involve a time element (e.g., units per hour).
Fun facts
- In 'The Goal' by Eliyahu Goldratt, throughput is defined as the rate at which the system generates money through sales.
Related words
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