Qualify Qualified Qualifying Verb ˈkwɒlɪfaɪ ˈkwɑːlɪfaɪ Long Doctor

• how long does it take to qualify?
• he qualified as a doctor last year.
• she spent seven years qualifying in law.
• this training course will qualify you for a better job.

qualify

Verb Forms

1. to reach the standard of ability or knowledge needed to do a particular job, for example by completing a course of study or passing exams
• How long does it take to qualify?
• He qualified as a doctor last year.
• She spent seven years qualifying in law.
2. to give somebody the skills and knowledge they need to do something
• This training course will qualify you for a better job.
• The test qualifies you to drive heavy vehicles.
3. to be of a high enough standard to enter a competition; to defeat another person or team in order to enter or continue in a competition
• He failed to qualify.
• South Korea qualified for the finals when they beat Italy 6–1.
• They qualified for the World Cup.
4. to have or give somebody the right to do something
• To qualify, you must have lived in this country for at least three years.
• If you live in the area, you qualify for a parking permit.
• In order to qualify for scholarships, students must demonstrate potential for academic excellence.
• Your educational background, interests and family history are some of the things that might qualify you.
• Paying a fee doesn't automatically qualify you for membership.

Extra Examples

• You will automatically qualify for a pension.
• people who qualify for the grant on the grounds of disability
• Membership of the scheme qualifies you for the discount.
• You have to be over 60 to qualify.
5. to have the right qualities to be described as a particular thing
• Do you think this dress qualifies as evening wear?
• It's an old building, but that doesn't qualify it as an ancient monument!
6. to add something to a previous statement to make the meaning less strong or less general
• I want to qualify what I said earlier—I didn't mean he couldn't do the job, only that he would need supervision.
7. to describe another word in a particular way
• In ‘the open door’, ‘open’ is an adjective qualifying ‘door’.

Word Origin

• late Middle English (in the sense ‘describe in a particular way’): from French qualifier, from medieval Latin qualificare, from Latin qualis ‘of what kind, of such a kind’ (see quality).