Quality is a noun: how good something is, or a feature it has. Qualify is a verb: to meet the requirements for something, to reach the next stage, or to limit a statement. High quality; qualify for the final; I should qualify that. Related words, different parts of speech.
The core difference
- quality — noun: the standard of something; excellence; a characteristic. Poor quality, quality over quantity, leadership qualities. Also used as a modifier: quality time.
- qualify — verb: to meet the conditions; to become eligible or certified; to reach a later round; to limit or modify a claim. Qualify as a nurse, qualify for a loan, qualify for the semi-final, let me qualify that.
The tell
Quality describes; qualify does. If the word follows high, poor or good, it is quality. If it follows to or has someone doing it, it is qualify. The related noun for the verb is qualification — the thing that makes you qualified — not quality.
In use
- quality — The quality of the print is poor. Patience is a rare quality.
- qualify — She qualified as a nurse last year. Ten runners qualified for the final.
Common slips
- high qualify products → high-quality products
- she qualities as a nurse next year → she qualifies as a nurse next year
Quality is what it is; qualify is what you do.
Where the words come from
Both are from Latin qualis, "of what kind". Quality is qualitas, "of-what-kind-ness", which Cicero coined as a philosophical term. Qualify is medieval Latin qualificare, "to attribute a quality to" — to say what kind a thing is — from which "to make fit" and "to limit a statement" both grew.
Frequently asked questions
Is it "high qualify" or "high quality"?
High quality. Quality is the noun; qualify is a verb.
What does it mean to qualify a statement?
To add a limit or condition to it: "the plan works — I should qualify that — it works on paper".
What is the noun from qualify?
Qualification. Quality is a separate noun meaning standard or characteristic.