qualify

  • verb (qualifies, qualified) 1 (often qualify for) meet the necessary standard or conditions to be entitled to or eligible for something. 2 become officially recognized as a practitioner of a profession or activity, typically after study and passing examinations. 3 make competent or knowledgeable enough to do something. 4 modify (a statement) by adding restrictions or reservations. 5 describe or class as being. 6 Grammar (of a word or phrase) attribute a quality to (another word, especially a preceding noun).

  — ORIGIN Latin qualificare, from qualis (see QUALITY).

Perform another search of the Compact Oxford English Dictionary

About this dictionary
The Compact Oxford English Dictionary of Current English contains 145,000 words, phrases, and definitions.
Find out more about Oxford's range of English dictionaries
Sign up for the AskOxford Word of the Day

Search the Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
Search the Concise Dictionary of First Names