Qualify

How to spell qualify

7 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce qualify

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does qualify mean?

1. verbTo meet the necessary standard, conditions, or requirements to be entitled to something.
2. verbTo add a remark or condition that limits, softens, or makes a statement less absolute.

Qualify in a sentence

• A deposit of that size may qualify you for a lower interest rate.

• The manager wanted to qualify her praise with a note of caution.

• Runners must finish under three hours to qualify for the final.

• Experts often qualify their forecasts with a list of assumptions.

Where does qualify come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin qualis, meaning 'of what kind' or 'of what sort', the same root that gives us 'quality'. In the Latin of the Middle Ages the verb qualificare was coined by joining qualis to facere, meaning 'to make', so the literal sense was 'to make of a certain kind' or 'to attribute a quality to something'. English borrowed it in the sixteenth century by way of the French qualifier, first using it to mean 'to describe' or 'to characterise'. From there the meaning branched: to give something the qualities it needs (and so to make a person fit or eligible), and to add a quality that softens or limits a statement. The spelling keeps the Latin quali- intact, so the trap is remembering the 'i' before the -fy and not slipping in an extra 'e'.

How the word is built

• qual- (from Latin qualis: of what kind)
• -ify (verb-forming suffix: to make or render)