qualitative analysisEnglishOxford New American Dictionaryqualitative analysis /ˈˌkwäləˈˌtādiv əˈnaləsəs, ˈˌkwɑləˈˌteɪdɪv əˈnæləsəs/ ▸ noun Chemistry identification of the constituents, e.g. elements or functional groups, present in a substance.