qualify

American  

[kwol-uh-fahy] / ˈkwɒl əˌfaɪ /

verb (used with object)

• qualifies,
  present (3rd person singular)
• qualified,
  past participle,  past
• qualifying
  present participle

1. to provide with proper or necessary skills, knowledge, credentials, etc.; make competent.

   to qualify oneself for a job.

   Synonyms:

   equip, prepare, adapt, suit, fit

2. to modify or limit in some way; make less strong or positive.

   to qualify an endorsement.

   Synonyms:

   restrict, narrow

3. Grammar. to modify.

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

   Synonyms:

   diminish, reduce, temper, soften, ameliorate

5. to attribute some quality or qualities to; characterize, call, or name.

   She cannot qualify his attitude as either rational or irrational.

   Synonyms:

   designate, label

6. to modify or alter the flavor or strength of.

   He qualified his coffee with a few drops of brandy.

7. Law. to certify as legally competent.

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verb (used without object)

• qualifies,
  present (3rd person singular)
• qualified,
  past participle,  past
• qualifying
  present participle

1. to be fitted or competent for something.

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

3. Sports. to demonstrate the required ability in an initial or preliminary contest.

   He qualified in the trials.

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

5. Military. to pass a practical test in gunnery.

6. Law. to perform the actions necessary to acquire legal power or capacity.

   By filing a bond and taking an oath he qualified as executor.

qualify British  

/ ˈkwɒlɪˌfaɪ, -ˌkeɪ- /

verb

1. to provide or be provided with the abilities or attributes necessary for a task, office, duty, etc

   his degree qualifies him for the job

   he qualifies for the job, but would he do it well?

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

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

4. (tr) grammar another word for modify

5. (tr) to attribute a quality to; characterize

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

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Synonym Usage

See modify.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• misqualify
  verb
• overqualify
  verb
• prequalify
  verb
• requalify
  verb
• superqualify
  verb
• nonqualifying
  adjective
• qualifiable
  adjective
• qualificatory
  adjective
• unqualifying
  adjective
• unrequalified
  adjective
• qualifyingly
  adverb
• unqualifyingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• qualifying
  present
• qualified
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• qualify
  simple
• qualifies
  simple
• have qualified
  perfect
• has qualified
  perfect
• am qualifying
  progressive
• are qualifying
  progressive
• is qualifying
  progressive
• have been qualifying
  perfect progressive
• has been qualifying
  perfect progressive

Past

• qualified
  simple
• had qualified
  perfect
• was qualifying
  progressive
• were qualifying
  progressive
• had been qualifying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will qualify
  simple
• will have qualified
  perfect
• will be qualifying
  progressive
• will have been qualifying
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of qualify

First recorded in 1525–35; from Medieval Latin quālificāre, from Latin quāl(is) “of what sort” + -ificāre -ify

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Explanation

Make sure you know the context when using the word qualify. In one sense, it means to be right for, to measure up. In another sense, though, qualify means to change something slightly, to limit it or add a condition to it. If you want to qualify for your driver's license, remember not to drive through that final stop sign without stopping. I guarantee you that if you don't stop you will not qualify. You don't just get your Eagle Badge. You have to qualify for it—there's a lot to do before you get it. The word might be used in its other sense like this: If you plan to get married, keep your vows simple: say "I do." Don't qualify them by saying something like "I do...except sometimes, when I don't." If you have to qualify your wedding vows, don't get married.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

qualify qualifies qualified qualifying

Several major luxury projects in the works could also qualify for federal tax breaks, including a Fouquet’s-branded hotel development and a 20-story office and retail tower called Ursa, where Robins is a partner.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

It was for this reason that people doubted whether they were ready this season to qualify for the Champions League and break the WSL's traditional top three.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

After scrolling through the shingles subreddit and reading about other immunocompromised millennials struggling to get the shot, I didn’t think I’d easily qualify.

From Slate ● Nov. 1, 2026

Only the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, co-founded by billionaire Gary K. Michelson, would qualify under the proposed criteria, according to No on 38.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

In 2016, Turkey made a deal with the European Union to take back Syrian refugees in exchange for Syrians living in Turkey who qualify for asylum in Europe.

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell

Even though she qualifies to vote by mail, she prefers to go to the polls in person.

From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026

If your kid would rather get a welding certification or a commercial driver’s license than sit in a university lecture hall, the account can still help, as long as the program qualifies.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

But who will decide who qualifies, and how much each recipient receives?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

Guinness World Records has yet to confirm whether the attempt qualifies as an official record.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

Not really sure if that qualifies as “good.”

From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles

Antonelli qualified fifth behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, but will start fourth because of a one-place penalty for the Dutchman.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

Mission Viejo likely qualified for the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs with this the win, and will learn of its opponent on Sunday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

Situated at the upper end of casual dining, the Cheesecake Factory, for many, has long qualified as a fancy restaurant, earmarked for special occasions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Mark Kantrowitz, a college savings expert, advises you to document your expenses to make sure they are qualified.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2026

They actually thought about handing their winnings over to some certified, qualified, sanitized, honest-to-God professional investor to run the money for them.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

This happens, Mr. deBoer explains, when relatively high-functioning young people come together on social media to lower the threshold for qualifying for a diagnosis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

However, there will be a shorter qualifying period of five years for certain groups, including:

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

The map of qualifying zones was based on census income data that goes back as much as six years, meaning that it may no longer reflect the current status of a neighborhood.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

The suit claims that earlier this year, she had made 119 qualifying payments and was on track to make her 120th payment in April.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

And every day in chapel there was some announcement about qualifying for “V-12,” an officer-training program the Navy had set up in many colleges and universities.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles

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Related Words

• certify
• enable
• entitle
• meet
• pass
• ready
• score
• train

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