an official record of achievement awarded on the successful completion of a course of training or passing of an exam an ability, quality, or attribute, esp one that fits a person to perform a particular job or task a condition that modifies or limits; restriction the act of qualifying or state of being qualified
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
qual•i•fi•ca•tion /ˌkwɑləfɪˈkeɪʃən/USA pronunciation
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- [countable] a quality, accomplishment, etc., that fits a person for some job, function, or the like.
- [uncountable] the act of qualifying or the state of being qualified.
- limitation or restriction: [uncountable]to agree without qualification.[countable]raised some qualifications concerning her candidacy.
qual•i•fi•ca•tion
(kwol′ə fi kā′shən),USA pronunciation n.
- a quality, accomplishment, etc., that fits a person for some function, office, or the like.
- a circumstance or condition required by law or custom for getting, having, or exercising a right, holding an office, or the like.
- the act of qualifying;
state of being qualified. - modification, limitation, or restriction:to endorse a plan without qualification.
- an instance of this:He protected his argument with several qualifications.
- Medieval Latin quālificātiōn- (stem of quālificātiō), equivalent. to quālificāt(us) (past participle of quālificāre to qualify) + -iōn- -ion
- 1535–45
- 4.See corresponding entry in Unabridged reservation, stipulation, condition.
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