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

See Examples For:

qualifier qualifiers

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

Crabb, 34, made his AVP debut in 2013 with his brother, Trevor, and advanced from the qualifier in Manhattan Beach before finishing 25th in his first tournament.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

He will face Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki next after the world number 150 stunned rising Spanish star Rafael Jodar.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

Djokovic, the men's record 24-time major winner, will face Roman Safiullin for a place in the quarter-finals after the Russian qualifier stunned Joao Fonseca 6-3 6-3 6-3.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

Training for my Olympics qualifier, wearing an ankle brace for support with an injury.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

For national tournaments, the corollary is how poorer countries always have to match up against richer ones for regional faceoffs and qualifiers that culminate in the quadrennial dream that is the World Cup.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

But Martinez was banned for two games in 2024 for 'offensive behaviour' in World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

He said that Europeans did not show the same outrage at a suspension of a red card in the World Cup qualifiers against Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026

For the 2026 finals, despite being drawn in a group with eight-time qualifiers Cameroon, Cape Verde finished top with one defeat in 10 matches.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

Unfortunately, the Olympic rules state that only the top two qualifiers from any country are permitted to participate.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles