English▸ verb
(qualifies, qualifying, qualified)
1 [no object] be entitled to a particular benefit or privilege by fulfilling a necessary condition:
they do not qualify for compensation payments.
▪ become eligible for a competition or its final rounds, by reaching a certain standard or defeating a competitor:
he failed to qualify for the Olympic team.
▪ be or make properly entitled to be classed in a particular way:
he qualifies as a genuine political refugee.
2 [no object] become officially recognized as a practitioner of a particular profession or activity by satisfying the relevant conditions or requirements, typically by undertaking a course of study and passing examinations:
I've only just qualified
after the war he qualified as a lawyer.
▪ [with object] officially recognize or establish (someone) as a practitioner of a particular profession or activity:
the courses qualify you as an instructor of the sport.
▪ [with object and infinitive] make (someone) competent or knowledgeable enough to do something:
I'm not qualified to write on the subject.
3 [with object] make (a statement or assertion) less absolute; add reservations to:
she felt obliged to qualify her first short answer.
▪ archaic make (something extreme or undesirable) less severe or extreme:
his sincere piety and his large heart always qualify his errors.
▪ archaic alter the strength or flavor of (something, especially a liquid):
he qualified his mug of water with a plentiful infusion of the liquor.
– ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘describe in a particular way’): from French qualifier, from medieval Latin qualificare, from Latin qualis ‘of what kind, of such a kind’ (see quality).