Engineering English
Quicksort
Software Engineering · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: Quicksort is an efficient, in-place divide-and-conquer sorting algorithm. It works by selecting a pivot element and partitioning the array around the pivot such that smaller elements go left and larger to the right.
Example in context
“We implemented quicksort with median-of-three pivot selection to avoid worst-case performance on nearly sorted data.”
“Neredeyse sıralı verilerde en kötü durum performansını önlemek için medyan-üç pivot seçimi ile hızlı sıralama uyguladık.”
Where engineers use it
Quicksort is widely used in standard library implementations of sorting due to its average-case O(n log n) performance and in-place partition. An engineer needs to choose good pivot strategies to avoid O(n^2) behavior on adversarial inputs.
Synonyms: quick sort
Practice: can you use “Quicksort” at work?
You are optimizing an e-commerce product list that needs to be sorted by price. Quicksort is chosen but you see O(n^2) behavior on some inputs. What pivot selection strategy would you use to mitigate this?
Show a model answer
“For large datasets, quicksort often outperforms other O(n log n) sorting algorithms.”
“Quicksort” in 21 languages
| English | Quicksort |
|---|---|
| Turkish | hızlı sıralama |
| French | tri rapide |
| German | Quicksort |
| Spanish | ordenación rápida |
| Chinese | 快速排序 |
| Arabic | الفرز السريع |
| Portuguese | ordenação rápida |
| Russian | быстрая сортировка |
| Japanese | クイックソート |
| Italian | ordinamento rapido |
| Vietnamese | sắp xếp nhanh |
| Hindi | क्विकसॉर्ट |
| Thai | การเรียงลำดับแบบเร็ว |
| Indonesian | pengurutan cepat |
| Korean | 퀵 정렬 |
| Bengali | কুইকসর্ট |
| Dutch | snelle sortering |
| Swedish | snabb sortering |
| Finnish | pikalajittelu |
| Ukrainian | швидке сортування |
Frequently asked questions
What does Quicksort mean in engineering?
Quicksort is an efficient, in-place divide-and-conquer sorting algorithm. It works by selecting a pivot element and partitioning the array around the pivot such that smaller elements go left and larger to the right. In Software Engineering, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Quicksort?
Quicksort is pronounced /ˈkwɪksɔrt/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Quicksort used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “We implemented quicksort with median-of-three pivot selection to avoid worst-case performance on nearly sorted data.”
This entry is one of 7,806 terms in the Engineering English iOS app — with quizzes, spaced repetition and pronunciation checking.
Get the app on the App Store