qualifier

American  

[kwol-uh-fahy-er] / ˈkwɒl əˌfaɪ ər /

noun

• qualifiers
  plural

1. a person or thing that qualifies.

2. Grammar.

   1. a word that qualifies the meaning of another, as an adjective or adverb; modifier.

   2. an adverb that modifies adjectives or other adverbs and typically expresses degree or intensity, as very, somewhat, or quite.

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qualifier British  

/ ˈkwɒlɪˌfaɪə /

noun

1. a person or thing that qualifies, esp a contestant in a competition who wins a preliminary heat or contest and so earns the right to take part in the next round

2. a preliminary heat or contest

3. grammar another word for modifier

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Usage

What is a qualifier? A qualifier is a person or thing that provides necessary skills or properties, as in The qualifier to enter the race was an ability to run the track three times without stopping. In grammar, a qualifier is a word that modifies another, as with adjectives and adverbs. When someone asks you to hand them the blue book, they are telling you something about the book so you know which one they want. Blue is modifying book. In other words, it’s acting as a qualifier. Example: The qualifier advanced to the next round of the competition.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• qualifiers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of qualifier

First recorded in 1555–65; qualify + -er ¹

Explanation

If person is a qualifier, they've done well enough at some sport or activity to make it into an important competition. Qualifiers have made it into the big league. When a word, rather than a person or a team, is described as a qualifier, it means that it modifies another word. Grammatical qualifiers are often adjectives. In the sentence "That is a fluffy cat," the word fluffy is a qualifier, attributing a specific quality to the word cat. The root of qualifier is the Latin qualis, "Of what sort?"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

qualifier qualifiers

The Chinese star is the first qualifier to reach the women's fourth round at the US Open since Britain's Emma Raducanu, who went on to win the 2021 title.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

Williams was also a doubles quarter-finalist at last year's US Open, but the defeat by qualifier Emiliana Arango in Cincinnati this month was her 18th loss in 19 singles matches.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

But you also added an important qualifier: “unforeseen medical expenses.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 8, 2026

In Glasgow, despite coming into the final as the fastest qualifier, he had to settle for bronze.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

Since there are serious consequences to misinterpreting these statements as absolute laws, a responsible writer should insert a qualifier like on average or all things being equal, together with a slightly or somewhat.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

O’Neal said the new league model will expand the field for events from 57 to 75 players, introduce a 54-hole cut and create Monday qualifiers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

It warrants no qualifiers, no deeper thought, because Boy George clearly didn’t think too hard about it himself before spitting it out into the world.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

Former Hearts forward Ryan Stevenson was vociferous in his criticism after Hearts crashed out of the Champions League qualifiers following a 6-0 aggregate hammering from Sturm Graz.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

An unknown quantity in Europe, having only managed in qualifiers, he will also have to navigate two ties to reach the Europa League proper, where Rangers have excelled in recent years.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Unfortunately, the Olympic rules state that only the top two qualifiers from any country are permitted to participate.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles