Synonyms

unqualified

American

[uhn-kwol-uh-fahyd] / ʌnˈkwɒl əˌfaɪd /

adjective

not qualified; qualify; not fit; lacking requisite qualifications.

unqualified for the job.

Synonyms:

incompetent, unfit
not modified, limited, or restricted in any way; without reservations.

unqualified praise.

Synonyms:

unmitigated
absolute; complete; out-and-out.

an unqualified liar.

Synonyms:

thorough, downright

unqualified British

/ ʌnˈkwɒlɪˌfaɪd /

adjective

lacking the necessary qualifications
not restricted or modified

an unqualified criticism
(usually prenominal) (intensifier)

an unqualified success

"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

Related Words

See absolute.

Other Word Forms

unqualifiable adjective
unqualifiedly adverb
unqualifiedness noun

Etymology

Origin of unqualified

First recorded in 1550–60; un- ¹ + qualified

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.

When coming back to Intuit, Goodarzi said he asked then CEO Brad Smith if he could become CIO—despite later saying he was completely unqualified for the job.

From The Wall Street Journal

Rusted nails hold used infusion tubes on the wall of a clinic run by one among hundreds of thousands of unqualified doctors operating across Pakistan.

From Barron's

She qualified as a teacher in Canada but was an unqualified teacher in England, the TRA said.

From BBC

Some have backed the move to remove unqualified drivers who can’t read road signs.

From Los Angeles Times

Currently, due to a lack of regulation, we are handling the fallout from unqualified practitioners operating across Scotland.

From BBC

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