qualify
Americanverb (used with object)
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to provide with proper or necessary skills, knowledge, credentials, etc.; make competent.
to qualify oneself for a job.
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to modify or limit in some way; make less strong or positive.
to qualify an endorsement.
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Grammar. to modify.
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to make less violent, severe, or unpleasant; moderate; mitigate.
- Synonyms:
- diminish, reduce, temper, soften, ameliorate
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to attribute some quality or qualities to; characterize, call, or name.
She cannot qualify his attitude as either rational or irrational.
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to modify or alter the flavor or strength of.
He qualified his coffee with a few drops of brandy.
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Law. to certify as legally competent.
verb (used without object)
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to be fitted or competent for something.
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to get authority, license, power, etc., as by fulfilling required conditions, taking an oath, etc.
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Sports. to demonstrate the required ability in an initial or preliminary contest.
He qualified in the trials.
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to fire a rifle or pistol on a target range for a score high enough to achieve a rating of marksman, sharpshooter, or expert.
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Military. to pass a practical test in gunnery.
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Law. to perform the actions necessary to acquire legal power or capacity.
By filing a bond and taking an oath he qualified as executor.
verb
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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?
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(tr) to make less strong, harsh, or violent; moderate or restrict
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(tr) to modify or change the strength or flavour of
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(tr) grammar another word for modify
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(tr) to attribute a quality to; characterize
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(intr) to progress to the final stages of a competition, as by winning preliminary contests
Synonym Usage
See modify.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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misqualifyverb
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overqualifyverb
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prequalifyverb
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requalifyverb
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superqualifyverb
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nonqualifyingadjective
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qualifiableadjective
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qualificatoryadjective
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unqualifyingadjective
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unrequalifiedadjective
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qualifyinglyadverb
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unqualifyinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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qualifysimple
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qualifiessimple
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have qualifiedperfect
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has qualifiedperfect
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am qualifyingprogressive
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are qualifyingprogressive
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is qualifyingprogressive
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have been qualifyingperfect progressive
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has been qualifyingperfect progressive
Past
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qualifiedsimple
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had qualifiedperfect
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was qualifyingprogressive
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were qualifyingprogressive
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had been qualifyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of qualify
First recorded in 1525–35; from Medieval Latin quālificāre, from Latin quāl(is) “of what sort” + -ificāre -ify
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.
Vocabulary lists containing qualify
40 SAT words Beginning with "Q"
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Scrabble: Words that Begin with Q
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List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Wednesday's incident occurred early in the morning, moments after Spain completed their 2-0 victory over France in Texas to qualify for the World Cup final.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
He adopted her after his parents’ death so she could qualify for military benefits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
To qualify, children must be age 10 and under, and live in ZIP codes with median incomes below $150,000.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
In 2024, the then-27-year-old Biles was the oldest U.S. female gymnast to qualify for the Olympics since 1952.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Ninety percent qualify for “free or reduced lunch,” which is to say that their families earn so little that the federal government chips in so the children can eat properly at lunchtime.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
Slender but flecked with magical touches, “Romería” is so gentle it never quite qualifies as haunting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
If two hours of location information qualifies as a search, where exactly does the constitutional boundary lie?
From Slate ● Jun. 29, 2026
In February, the FCC launched a probe into whether “The View” qualifies for an exemption from equal-time rules because it is considered a news program.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
In England, councils will decide who qualifies and how they will receive the financial help.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
“I don’t think that qualifies you as a saint.”
From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss
To help fill the staffing gap, the FAA said it expects five supervisors and, by the end of July, four trainees to be qualified to help manage traffic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
This is the same Italy side who have not even qualified for the past three World Cups.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
He concluded that only the front portion of the roof qualified for replacement, subject to my $2,000 deductible.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
What qualified Platner to be one of the most influential people in the country?
From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2026
When General Gates had asked the committee to send him someone who would go behind British lines, Bryan had been picked as “the best qualified to undertake the hazardous enterprise.”
From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen
But the notion from some players that Tuchel got it wrong in Atlanta will pose an intriguing player-manager dynamic heading into the European Championship qualifying campaign.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
Last November, when England faced off with Serbia for the World Cup qualifying games, the stadium held a moment of silence for Dan Tana’s passing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
The trigger was Norway’s stunning 2-1 victory over England in Oslo in a 1981 World Cup qualifying match.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
Her career breakthrough famously came at Wimbledon in 2019 when, as a 15-year-old, she came through qualifying and beat one of her idols Venus Williams on her way to the fourth round.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
We all did well in the qualifying round, with me, Aly, and Gabby placing first, second, and third overall.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
