quality control

American

noun

a system for verifying and maintaining a desired level of quality in an existing product or service by careful planning, use of proper equipment, continued inspection, and corrective action as required.

quality control British

noun

control of the relative quality of a manufactured product, usually by statistical sampling techniques

"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

Etymology

Origin of quality control

First recorded in 1930–35

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.

They are especially interested in exploring whether boosting translation efficiency or improving ribosome quality control could restore healthier protein balance in brain cells and potentially slow cognitive decline.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2026

The production increase signals improving quality control, crucial for Boeing to boost earnings and free cash flow.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

It has said that quality control measures, which usually remove such responses, were not applied due to human error.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

Every once in a while, workers dressed in white with hats and masks inspect the process, alongside artificial-intelligence technology used for quality control.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Today, for instance, I’ve decided to focus on quality control.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

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