qualified

The word “qualified” means having the necessary skills, training, or credentials for a role. In plain terms, either properly trained/certified for something, or (of approval/praise) given with some conditions attached.

“Qualified” is pronounced KWOL-ih-fyd (/ˈkwɑ.lɪ.faɪd/ in IPA).

Here is “qualified” used in a sentence: “Only qualified electricians should work on this wiring.”

The opposite of “qualified” — its antonyms — are disqualified, non-qualified and unqualified.

“Qualified” is an adjective.

“Qualified” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Qualified” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: having the necessary skills, training, or credentials for a role.

Being qualified means holding the training, credentials, or certificates a role requires, proof on paper that you meet the standard. Being experienced means having actually done the work over time. Someone can be qualified without much experience, or highly experienced yet not formally qualified; ideally a candidate is both.

A qualified person has the skills, training, or credentials a role demands; an unqualified person lacks them. The distinction matters most in regulated fields like medicine, law, or teaching, where being qualified is a legal requirement. Unqualified can also mean total or without reservation, as in 'unqualified success.'

Yes. Besides meaning suitably trained, qualified can mean limited or conditional. A 'qualified approval' or 'qualified success' is one that comes with reservations rather than being wholehearted. Here the word signals that something has been restricted or hedged, so the praise or agreement is not complete.