qualifier

American  

[kwol-uh-fahy-er] / ˈkwɒl əˌfaɪ ər /

noun

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.

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

But that was followed by a heavy first-round defeat by qualifier Maria Lourdes Carle in Madrid.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

He was chosen after helping the Merseysiders win three cup finals plus a famous hat-trick as England thrashed Germany 5-1 in a World Cup qualifier in Munich.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

This included a World Cup qualifier against Scotland last year, which was played at the ZTE Arena in Zalaegerszeg.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

He then outclassed former No. 1 Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-0, 6-3, a player he had upset in five sets as a qualifier in Melbourne a year earlier, to reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 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