quality

[kwol-i-tee]

noun

plural

qualities 

1. an essential or distinctive characteristic, property, or attribute.

   the chemical qualities of alcohol.

   Synonyms: feature, character, trait

2. character or nature, as belonging to or distinguishing a thing.

   the quality of a sound.

3. character with respect to fineness, or grade of excellence.

   food of poor quality; silks of fine quality.

   Synonyms: condition, sort, grade, kind, nature

4. high grade; superiority; excellence.

   wood grain of quality.

5. a personality or character trait.

   kindness is one of her many good qualities.

6. native excellence or superiority.

7. an accomplishment or attainment.

8. good or high social position.

   a man of quality.

9. the superiority or distinction associated with high social position.

10. Acoustics.,  the texture of a tone, dependent on its overtone content, that distinguishes it from others of the same pitch and loudness.

11. Phonetics.,  the tonal color, or timbre, that characterizes a particular vowel sound.

12. Logic.,  the character of a proposition as affirmative or negative.

13. Thermodynamics.,  the proportion or percentage of vapor in a mixture of liquid and vapor, as wet steam.

14. social status or position.

15. a person of high social position.

    He's quality, that one is.

adjective

1. of or having superior quality.

   quality paper.

2. producing or providing products or services of high quality or merit.

   a quality publisher.

3. of or occupying high social status.

   a quality family.

4. marked by a concentrated expenditure of involvement, concern, or commitment.

   Counselors are urging that working parents try to spend more quality time with their children.

quality

/ ˈkwɒlɪtɪ /

noun

1. a distinguishing characteristic, property, or attribute

2. the basic character or nature of something

3. a trait or feature of personality

4. degree or standard of excellence, esp a high standard

5. (formerly) high social status or the distinction associated with it

6. musical tone colour; timbre

7. logic the characteristic of a proposition that is dependent on whether it is affirmative or negative

8. phonetics the distinctive character of a vowel, determined by the configuration of the mouth, tongue, etc, when it is articulated and distinguished from the pitch and stress with which it is uttered

9. (modifier) having or showing excellence or superiority

   a quality product

Other Word Forms

• qualityless adjective
• nonquality noun
• subquality noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of quality¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English qualite, from Old French, from Latin quālitās, equivalent to quāl(is) “of what sort” + -itās -ity

Word History and Origins

Origin of quality¹

C13: from Old French qualité, from Latin quālitās state, nature, from quālis of what sort

Synonym Study

Quality, attribute, property agree in meaning a particular characteristic (of a person or thing). A quality is a characteristic, innate or acquired, that, in some particular, determines the nature and behavior of a person or thing: naturalness as a quality; the quality of meat. An attribute was originally a quality attributed, usually to a person or something personified; more recently it has meant a fundamental or innate characteristic: an attribute of God; attributes of a logical mind. Property applies only to things; it means a characteristic belonging specifically in the constitution of, or found (invariably) in, the behavior of a thing: physical properties of uranium or of limestone.

Example Sentences

It was not clear whether this was a blip for the 33-year-old or the kind of drop in quality many players begin to experience once they reach their 30s.

From BBC

Heather Epps, a physiotherapist with expertise in hydrotherapy for cerebral palsy patients, said it could "improve quality of life" thanks to the benefits it had in pain reduction and its ability to improve muscle function.

From BBC

As part of the 2026 budget, in an effort to improve the quality of rental properties, the tax relief which can be claimed for property maintenance by landlords could also increase.

From BBC

A Met spokesperson said: "Anti-social behaviour can have significant impact on quality of life and we don't underestimate the effect this activity has on residents living nearby."

From BBC

On its website, Clearsprings says it "prides itself on providing value for money, quality and transparency".

From BBC

Related Words

• excellent 
• exceptional 
• fabulous 
• fantastic 
• good 
• great 
• incomparable 
• outstanding 
• superb 
• superior 
• very good www.thesaurus.com
• wonderful