qualify

[ kwol-uh-fahy ]

/ ˈkwɒl əˌfaɪ /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: qualify / qualified / qualifying / qualificatory on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), qual·i·fied, qual·i·fy·ing.

to provide with proper or necessary skills, knowledge, credentials, etc.; make competent: to qualify oneself for a job.

to modify or limit in some way; make less strong or positive: to qualify an endorsement.

Grammar. to modify.

to make less violent, severe, or unpleasant; moderate; mitigate.

to attribute some quality or qualities to; characterize, call, or name: She cannot qualify his attitude as either rational or irrational.

to modify or alter the flavor or strength of: He qualified his coffee with a few drops of brandy.

Law. to certify as legally competent.

verb (used without object), qual·i·fied, qual·i·fy·ing.

to be fitted or competent for something.

to get authority, license, power, etc., as by fulfilling required conditions, taking an oath, etc.

Sports. to demonstrate the required ability in an initial or preliminary contest: He qualified in the trials.

to fire a rifle or pistol on a target range for a score high enough to achieve a rating of marksman, sharpshooter, or expert.

Military. to pass a practical test in gunnery.

Law. to perform the actions necessary to acquire legal power or capacity: By filing a bond and taking an oath he qualified as executor.

OTHER WORDS FOR qualify

1 fit, suit, adapt, prepare, equip.

2 narrow, restrict.

4 ameliorate, soften, temper, reduce, diminish.

5 designate, label.

See synonyms for qualify on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of qualify

1525–35; <Medieval Latin quālificāre, equivalent to Latin quāl(is) of what sort + -ificāre-ify

synonym study for qualify

2. See modify.

OTHER WORDS FROM qualify

qual·i·fi·ca·to·ry

[kwol-uh-fi-kuh-tawr-ree, -tohr-ee], /ˈkwɒl ə fɪ kəˌtɔr ri, -ˌtoʊr i/, adjectivequal·i·fy·ing·ly, adverbmis·qual·i·fy, verb, mis·qual·i·fied, mis·qual·i·fy·ing.non·qual·i·fy·ing, adjective

o·ver·qual·i·fy, verb, o·ver·qual·i·fied, o·ver·qual·i·fy·ing.pre·qual·i·fy, verb, pre·qual·i·fied, pre·qual·i·fy·ing.re·qual·i·fy, verb, re·qual·i·fied, re·qual·i·fy·ing.su·per·qual·i·fy, verb, su·per·qual·i·fied, su·per·qual·i·fy·ing.un·qual·i·fy·ing, adjectiveun·qual·i·fy·ing·ly, adverbun·re·qual·i·fied, adjective

Words nearby qualify

qualification, qualificator, qualified, Qualified Majority Voting, qualifier, qualify, qualitative, qualitative analysis, qualitative identity, qualitatively, qualities

How to use qualify in a sentence

While they are not eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a House staff member estimated that tens of thousands have incomes low enough that they would qualify for the stimulus aid if they were eligible.
Maryland House Democrats push to expand eligibility for covid relief|Ovetta Wiggins, Erin Cox|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
The court ruled 9 to 0 that the lawsuit did not qualify for the limited exception in federal law that generally restricts American courts from hearing lawsuits against foreign governments.
Supreme Court rules unanimously for Germany in Nazi art sale case|Robert Barnes|February 3, 2021|Washington Post
A whistleblower noticed that lenders were shuffling loan financing from one bond to another to increase the volume of loans that qualified for the subsidies.
Education Dept. orders Navient to refund $22.3 million in decade-old student loan scandal|Danielle Douglas-Gabriel|February 2, 2021|Washington Post
She had spent hours trying to find her father an appointment, once he had qualified for a vaccine under Texas rules.
People are fed up with broken vaccine appointment tools — so they’re building their own|Tanya Basu|February 1, 2021|MIT Technology Review

The model currently gives Liverpool just a 4 percent chance to win the league and a 66 percent chance to qualify for the Champions League.
Liverpool Can’t Buy A Goal, And Its Title Defense Is On The Ropes|Terrence Doyle|January 27, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
Magazines are the only thing in my apartment that qualify as clutter.
I’m a Digital Hoarder|Lizzie Crocker|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Another unknown is how many from that pool will eventually qualify.
Will 5 Million Undocumented Immigrants Take Obama's Tough Love Immigration Deal?|Ruben Navarrette Jr.|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We cannot qualify it based on ideological notions or concepts important only at one time in history.
Is Pope Francis Backpedaling on Gays?|Jay Michaelson|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To qualify for special protection, Marmolejos wrote, Doyle would have to have disclosed “substantial” law-breaking by the lab.
Fired From Los Alamos for Pushing Obama's Nuclear Agenda|Center for Public Integrity|July 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Qualification is exacting, and a majority of the teams that do qualify are from the West.
Best Way to Punish Putin? No World Cup|Tunku Varadarajan|July 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If he fails to qualify or a vacancy occurs, the creditors have an opportunity to make another appointment.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
They had received power sufficient to qualify them to preach that the "kingdom of heaven was at hand."
The Kingdom of God, Part 1|Orson Pratt
At breakfast next morning he was induced to qualify his satisfaction to some extent—but very slightly.
A Thin Ghost and Others|M. R. (Montague Rhodes) James
My readers in the two previous chapters have drunk raw spirit, and must now qualify it after the Scotch fashion.
Devil-Worship in France|Arthur Edward Waite
The personal and moral influence of Mr. O'Brien were such as to qualify him to be a leader.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III.|E. Farr and E. H. Nolan

British Dictionary definitions for qualify

qualify

/ (ˈkwɒlɪˌfaɪ) /

verb -fies, -fying or -fied

to provide or be provided with the abilities or attributes necessary for a task, office, duty, etchis degree qualifies him for the job; he qualifies for the job, but would he do it well?

(tr) to make less strong, harsh, or violent; moderate or restrict

(tr) to modify or change the strength or flavour of

(tr) grammar another word for modify (def. 3)

(tr) to attribute a quality to; characterize

(intr) to progress to the final stages of a competition, as by winning preliminary contests

Derived forms of qualify

qualifiable, adjectivequalificatory (ˈkwɒlɪfɪkətərɪ, -ˌkeɪ-), adjective

Word Origin for qualify

C16: from Old French qualifier, from Medieval Latin quālificāre to characterize, from Latin quālis of what kind + facere to make

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

qualify

OTHER WORDS FOR qualify

Origin of qualify

synonym study for qualify

OTHER WORDS FROM qualify

Words nearby qualify

Words related to qualify

How to use qualify in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for qualify

Derived forms of qualify

Word Origin for qualify