Etymologically
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qualification

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 17 October 2026 at 15:59. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˌkwɒlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ (UK); /ˌkwɑlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French qualification and directly Medieval Latin quālificātiō,[2][3][4] from the past participle of quālificō (“to qualify”) (see qualify),[2][3] from quālis (“of what kind”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Modification, limitation, restriction: 1543–4 in the OED, the 1540s in Etymonline;[5][2] Merriam-Webster gives 1529.[3]

Semantic evolution

A distinctive quality or condition of a person or thing is from 1604.[5] An accomplishment that fits someone for a position or task is from the 1660s (1669),[2][5] and a condition required by law or custom from 1723.[2][5] In British use it is commonly a certificate awarded for completing a course or passing an examination.[6]

Timeline

  • 1543–4 – a restriction or modification.[5]
  • 1604 – a distinctive quality.[5]
  • 1669 – a fitness for a post.[5]
  • 1723 – a necessary condition.[2][5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A quality, skill or accomplishment that makes someone suitable for a job or task.
  2. An official record of achievement, such as a degree or diploma.
  3. A condition that must be met.
  4. A restriction or modification: I agree without qualification.
  5. The act of qualifying, or the condition of being qualified.

Word family

  • disqualification
  • nonqualification
  • overqualification
  • prequalification
  • requalification

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins