qualify

Qualify is a multifaceted English verb with several related senses. The core idea is meeting criteria or becoming eligible for something. For example, to qualify for a prize or a program means one has satisfied the required standards and may participate or receive the benefit. A statement can also qualify in the sense of limiting its scope or adding conditions, such as “This conclusion qualifies the earlier claim with a caveat,” or “The plan will work, but only under certain conditions.”

In sports and competitions, to qualify specifically refers to advancing through preliminary rounds or meeting criteria to enter the main event or finals. This use focuses on eligibility to compete rather than the outcome of the competition itself.

The noun form, qualification, covers credentials, skills, or examinations that enable someone to perform a job or activity, or to meet a specified standard. Common phrases include job qualifications, educational qualifications, and licensing qualifications.

Etymology: qualify comes from the Latin qualificare, formed from qualis “of what kind” and facere “to make.” The sense evolved in English to include both meeting standards and limiting statements.

See also: qualification, qualifier, qualifying.