qualified
qualified Lexical Profile
qualified Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Officially recognized as being trained to perform a particular job; certified or licensed through formal education or examination.
"All applicants for the teaching position must be fully qualified and hold a valid state license."
Possessing the necessary skills, knowledge, experience, or accomplishments to do something competently or meet a specific standard.
"Given her decade of experience in international law, she is uniquely qualified to lead the negotiation team."
Not complete or absolute; limited by conditions, reservations, or restrictions.
"The committee gave only qualified approval to the proposal, requesting several budget revisions before final sign-off."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Qualified' can have nearly opposite implications depending on context: when describing a person ('a qualified engineer'), it is positive and means fully capable or certified; when modifying an abstract noun like 'success', 'support', or 'approval' ('a qualified success'), it means limited, conditional, or not complete.
• Rhymes for qualified
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the mid-16th century, formed as the past participle adjective of the verb 'qualify', which derives from Middle French 'qualifier' and Medieval Latin 'qualificare' (to attribute a quality to), ultimately from Latin 'qualis' (of what sort) and 'facere' (to make).