v.
Pronunciation: ' kwä-l ə - ˌ f ī
Function: verb
Inflected Form: -fied ; -fy · ing
Etymology: Middle French qualifier, from Medieval Latin qualificare, from Latin qualis
Date: 1533
transitive verb
1 a : to reduce from a general to a particular or restricted form : MODIFY b : to make less harsh or strict : MODERATE c : to alter the strength or flavor of d : to limit or modify the meaning of (as a noun)
2 : to characterize by naming an attribute : DESCRIBE <cannot qualify it as ⋯ either glad or sorry ― T. S. Eliot>
3 a : to fit by training, skill, or ability for a special purpose b (1) : to declare competent or adequate : CERTIFY (2) : to invest with legal capacity : LICENSE
intransitive verb
1 : to be or become fit (as for an office) : meet the required standard
2 : to acquire legal or competent power or capacity <has just qualified as a lawyer>
3 a : to exhibit a required degree of ability in a preliminary contest < qualified for the finals> b : to shoot well enough to earn a marksmanship badge