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

Norwegian announcer Bjørge Lillelien delivered an iconic 68-second call after Norway’s 2-1 victory over England in a 1981 World Cup qualifier.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 11, 2026

Novak Djokovic claimed the all-time record for most men's singles match wins at Wimbledon, but had to overcome moments of visible frustration to beat qualifier Roman Safiullin and reach the quarter-finals.

From BBC • Jul. 5, 2026

The last time it lost an official match there was a 2-1 defeat to Honduras in a 2013 World Cup qualifier.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 4, 2026

“I feel like anytime you’re playing a qualifier, it’s always tough because they have three matches already,” the seventh-seeded American said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 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