Qualifies

How to spell qualifies

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce qualifies

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does qualifies mean?

1. verbMeets the necessary conditions, standard, or requirements to be eligible for something.
2. verbAdds detail or restriction to a statement so it is less general or absolute.

Qualifies in a sentence

• A deposit of that size easily qualifies the buyer for the mortgage.

• The footnote qualifies the headline claim with several exceptions.

• Three years of relevant experience qualifies her for the senior role.

• She always qualifies her advice with a reminder that results vary.

Where does qualifies come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This is the third person singular of 'qualify', which English took from the Old French 'qualifier' in the late 1400s, itself drawn from the Medieval Latin 'qualificare'. That Latin verb was built from 'qualis', meaning 'of what kind' or 'of what quality', and 'facere', meaning 'to make', so the literal idea was 'to make of a certain kind' or 'to give a quality to'. The earliest English uses leaned on that original sense of describing or limiting the nature of something, which survives today when we say a clause 'qualifies' a statement. From there the meaning broadened to 'meet the required standard' and 'become eligible', as when someone qualifies for a job or a team. The 'qual-' opening, shared with 'quality' and 'qualification', is the part that anchors the spelling, while the ending shifts from a 'y' to 'ies' just as it does in 'tries' or 'studies'.

How the word is built

• quali- (from Latin qualis: of what kind)
• -fy (from facere: to make)
• -es (third person singular)