Synonyms

qualify

American

[kwol-uh-fahy] / ˈkwɒl əˌfaɪ /

verb (used with object)

to provide with proper or necessary skills, knowledge, credentials, etc.; make competent.

to qualify oneself for a job.

Synonyms:

equip, prepare, adapt, suit, fit
to modify or limit in some way; make less strong or positive.

to qualify an endorsement.

Synonyms:

restrict, narrow
Grammar. to modify.
to make less violent, severe, or unpleasant; moderate; mitigate.

Synonyms:

diminish, reduce, temper, soften, ameliorate
to attribute some quality or qualities to; characterize, call, or name.

She cannot qualify his attitude as either rational or irrational.

Synonyms:

designate, label
to modify or alter the flavor or strength of.

He qualified his coffee with a few drops of brandy.
Law. to certify as legally competent.

verb (used without object)

to be fitted or competent for something.
to get authority, license, power, etc., as by fulfilling required conditions, taking an oath, etc.
Sports. to demonstrate the required ability in an initial or preliminary contest.

He qualified in the trials.
to fire a rifle or pistol on a target range for a score high enough to achieve a rating of marksman, sharpshooter, or expert.
Military. to pass a practical test in gunnery.
Law. to perform the actions necessary to acquire legal power or capacity.

By filing a bond and taking an oath he qualified as executor.

qualify British

/ ˈkwɒlɪˌfaɪ, -ˌkeɪ- /

verb

to provide or be provided with the abilities or attributes necessary for a task, office, duty, etc

his degree qualifies him for the job
he qualifies for the job, but would he do it well?
(tr) to make less strong, harsh, or violent; moderate or restrict
(tr) to modify or change the strength or flavour of
(tr) grammar another word for modify
(tr) to attribute a quality to; characterize
(intr) to progress to the final stages of a competition, as by winning preliminary contests

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See modify.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of qualify

First recorded in 1525–35; from Medieval Latin quālificāre, from Latin quāl(is) “of what sort” + -ificāre -ify

Explanation

Make sure you know the context when using the word qualify. In one sense, it means to be right for, to measure up. In another sense, though, qualify means to change something slightly, to limit it or add a condition to it. If you want to qualify for your driver's license, remember not to drive through that final stop sign without stopping. I guarantee you that if you don't stop you will not qualify. You don't just get your Eagle Badge. You have to qualify for it—there's a lot to do before you get it. The word might be used in its other sense like this: If you plan to get married, keep your vows simple: say "I do." Don't qualify them by saying something like "I do...except sometimes, when I don't." If you have to qualify your wedding vows, don't get married.

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Vocabulary lists containing qualify

40 SAT words Beginning with "Q"

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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.

See Examples For:

qualify qualifies qualified qualifying

Several major luxury projects in the works could also qualify for federal tax breaks, including a Fouquet’s-branded hotel development and a 20-story office and retail tower called Ursa, where Robins is a partner.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

London City Lionesses are providing plenty of optimism on the pitch but even if they were to qualify for the Champions League this season, are they allowed to?

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

After scrolling through the shingles subreddit and reading about other immunocompromised millennials struggling to get the shot, I didn’t think I’d easily qualify.

From Slate ● Nov. 1, 2026

Only the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, co-founded by billionaire Gary K. Michelson, would qualify under the proposed criteria, according to No on 38.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

Fortunately, going to the movies seems to suddenly qualify as an intellectual accomplishment, on a par with reading a book or devoting time to serious thought.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Now, the federal government is launching the second phase of Opportunity Zones at the start of next year and this Miami arts and shopping district again qualifies for selection.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

Guinness World Records has yet to confirm whether the attempt qualifies as an official record.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

For one, it was a blast of cold coffee to the face to realize that what qualifies as a career-derailing flop in 2006 meets or beats the quality of most made-for-Netflix features.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026

The treaty does not specify the geographical criteria of a European state, but it's hard to imagine Canada qualifies.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

“I assume this qualifies as a hate crime and that the police will be pursuing every lead with all their formidable resources?”

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

The district qualified because census takers grouped the retail corridor with adjacent poorer neighborhoods and relied only on residential data.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

It is not the first time he has qualified fastest for Ferrari - that was when he took sprint pole at the Chinese Grand Prix last year, in only his second race for the team.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

Its opponents have said the proposed criteria for awarding the grant funding would appear to create an extremely small pool of qualified recipients.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

I’m thinking ahead to my 2026 Form 1040 tax filing and have a question about documenting qualified 529 plan expenses.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2026

“I don’t know if I’m qualified, Lightning Girl.”

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty

This happens, Mr. deBoer explains, when relatively high-functioning young people come together on social media to lower the threshold for qualifying for a diagnosis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

Land values have skyrocketed over the past decade, potentially generating hundreds of millions of dollars in untaxed profits for developers who own qualifying properties or businesses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

The suit claims that earlier this year, she had made 119 qualifying payments and was on track to make her 120th payment in April.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

Nov. 17: Players must accept or decline qualifying offers by the 1 p.m.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

It was the almost perfect inverse of the order he had expected based on the qualifying times.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023