noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˌkwɒlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
General-American:/ˌkwɑlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:K W AA2 L AH0 F AH0 K EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The act or process of qualifying for a position, achievement etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
Qualification for this organization is extraordinarily difficult.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something; specifically, completed professional training.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
What are your qualifications for this job?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A certificate, diploma, or degree awarded after successful completion of a course, training, or exam.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A clause or condition which qualifies something; a modification, a limitation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
I accept your offer, but with the following qualification.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A quality or attribute.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
the act of modifying or changing the strength of some idea
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
his new position involves a qualification of his party's platform
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: revision, alteration
7
noun
Meaning 7
an attribute that must be met or complied with and that fits a person for something
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
her qualifications for the job are excellent
one of the qualifications for admission is an academic degree
she has the makings of fine musician
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: making
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: fitness, fittingness
Narrower terms: eligibility, ineligibility
8
noun
Meaning 8
a statement that limits or restricts some claim
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he recommended her without any reservations
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: reservation
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: statement
Narrower terms: fine print, small print, weasel word
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French qualification in the 1540s, which in turn derives from Medieval Latin quālificātiō. By surface analysis, qual(ify) + -ification.
Across languages
Translations
107 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
qualificació
— act or process of qualifying
Czech:
kvalifikace
— act or process of qualifying
Danish:
kvalificering
— act or process of qualifying
Finnish:
hyväksyntä
— act or process of qualifying
Finnish:
hyväksymisprosessi
— act or process of qualifying
Finnish:
pätevöityminen
— act or process of qualifying
Finnish:
kvalifiointi
— act or process of qualifying
Galician:
cualificación
— act or process of qualifying
Hungarian:
képesítés megszerzése
— act or process of qualifying
Hungarian:
feltételek teljesítése
— act or process of qualifying
Indonesian:
kualifikasi
— act or process of qualifying
Italian:
certificazione
— act or process of qualifying
Polish:
kwalifikacja
— act or process of qualifying
Portuguese:
qualificação
— act or process of qualifying
Romanian:
calificare
— act or process of qualifying
Spanish:
expertización
— act or process of qualifying
Albanian:
kualifikim
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Arabic:
مُؤَهِّل
(muʔahhil)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Armenian:
որակավորում
(orakavorum)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Azerbaijani:
ixtisas
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Belarusian:
кваліфіка́цыя
(kvalifikácyja)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Bengali:
আহলিয়াত
(ahliẏat)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Bulgarian:
квалифика́ция
(kvalifikácija)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Bulgarian:
ценз
(cenz)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Catalan:
qualificació
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Chinese Mandarin:
資格 /资格
(zīgé)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Czech:
kvalifikace
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Danish:
kvalifikation
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Estonian:
kvalifikatsioon
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Finnish:
pätevyys
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
French:
qualification
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Galician:
cualificación
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Georgian:
კვალიფიკაცია
(ḳvalipiḳacia)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
German:
Qualifizierung
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
German:
Qualifikation
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Greek:
προσόν
(prosón)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Hebrew:
כִּשּׁוּרִים
(kishurím)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Hindi:
योग्यता
(yogyatā)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Hungarian:
képesítés
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Hungarian:
képzettség
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Hungarian:
szakképzettség
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Hungarian:
végzettség
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Hungarian:
minősítés
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Indonesian:
kualifikasi
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Italian:
qualificazione
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Japanese:
資格
(shikaku)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Kazakh:
біліктілік
(bılıktılık)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Korean:
자격
(jagyeok)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Kyrgyz:
билимдүүлүк
(bilimdüülük)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Kyrgyz:
квалификация
(kvalifikatsiya)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Latvian:
kvalifikācija
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Lithuanian:
kvalifikacija
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Macedonian:
квалификација
(kvalifikacija)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Malayalam:
യോഗ്യത
(yōgyata)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Māori:
māraurautanga
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Iranian Persian:
صَلاحِیَّت
(salâhiyyat)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Iranian Persian:
قابِلیَّت
(ġâbelyyat)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Polish:
kwalifikacja
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Portuguese:
qualificação
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Romanian:
calificare
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Russian:
квалифика́ция
(kvalifikácija)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Serbo-Croatian:
квалифика́ција
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Serbo-Croatian:
kvalifikácija
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Slovak:
kvalifikácia
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Slovene:
kvalifikacija
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Spanish:
cualificación
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Swedish:
merit
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Tajik:
ихтисос
(ixtisos)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Ukrainian:
кваліфіка́ція
(kvalifikácija)
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Uzbek:
kvalifikatsiya
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Uzbek:
malaka
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
Uzbek:
ixtisos
— an ability or attribute that aids someone's chances of qualifying for something
