unqualified
Americanadjective
-
not qualified; 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.
adjective
-
lacking the necessary qualifications
-
not restricted or modified
an unqualified criticism
-
(usually prenominal) (intensifier)
an unqualified success
Related Words
See absolute.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unqualified
Explanation
If you're unqualified for something, you're not cut out to do it, often because you don't have the skills or knowledge you need. A dog trainer is most likely unqualified to perform brain surgery. The adjective unqualified is good for describing someone who isn't fit for a task or job. You wouldn't want an unqualified dentist to fill your cavity, and an unqualified babysitter might not even know how to change a diaper or put a bandage on a scraped elbow. Another way people can be unqualified is when they lack some necessary document — you're unqualified to teach in a public school, for example, without a state teaching certificate.
Vocabulary lists containing unqualified
United States v. Nixon (1974)
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Roe v. Wade (1973)
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On Liberty
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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.
The Los Angeles County Bar Assn. rated him as unqualified for office, one of only three candidates across all races to receive the designation.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
This stuff is all absolutely appalling, and it is an unqualified good that she’ll be out the door.
From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026
Article 111 of the Iranian Constitution grants the assembly the authority to remove the supreme leader if he is deemed incapable or unqualified politically and religiously.
From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026
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 • Feb. 12, 2026
Unprepared and unqualified and totally, totally out of my depth.
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
