qualification
Americannoun
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a quality, accomplishment, etc., that fits a person for some function, office, or the like.
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a circumstance or condition required by law or custom for getting, having, or exercising a right, holding an office, or the like.
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the act of qualifying; state of being qualified.
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modification, limitation, or restriction.
to endorse a plan without qualification.
- Synonyms:
- condition, stipulation, reservation
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an instance of this.
He protected his argument with several qualifications.
noun
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an official record of achievement awarded on the successful completion of a course of training or passing of an exam
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an ability, quality, or attribute, esp one that fits a person to perform a particular job or task
he has no qualifications to be a teacher
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a condition that modifies or limits; restriction
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the act of qualifying or state of being qualified
Other Word Forms
- nonqualification noun
- overqualification noun
- prequalification noun
- requalification noun
Etymology
Origin of qualification
1535–45; < Medieval Latin quālificātiōn- (stem of quālificātiō ), equivalent to quālificāt ( us ) (past participle of quālificāre to qualify ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
A qualification is either a condition that must be met or a statement that puts a limit on a claim. Both kinds of qualification are restrictive. You know how there are requirements for jobs? You can call those requirements qualifications. For example, a college degree and certain experiences are qualifications for many jobs: without them, you won't even get a job interview. A qualification is also a type of statement that makes a previous statement more specific. If you said "I'm thirsty!" and then added "Not for root beer, though," your second statement is a qualification. Qualifications add a limit to what's been said.
Vocabulary lists containing qualification
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)
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"On Women's Right to Vote" by Susan B. Anthony
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"Marriage is a Private Affair" by Chinua Achebe
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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.
Yet note a qualification on the ruling that media commentators missed.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
Nine of the universities involved took the first step towards legal action last week over what they called an "abrupt" decision, which risked penalising mature students on low incomes trying to get a better qualification.
From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026
The game is important for securing qualification for next year's World Cup in Brazil, with England keen to win more silverware in the famous white shirt.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
This is the man who led his side to Champions League qualification in 2023 and 2025.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
But if it starts to get longer it can force a reader to entertain a complicated qualification before she has any idea what it is qualifying.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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.
