qual·i·fy / ˈkwäləˌfī/ • v. (-fies, -fied) 1. [intr.] be entitled to a particular benefit or privilege by fulfilling a necessary condition: they do not qualify for compensation payments. ∎  become eligible for a competition or its final rounds, by reaching a certain standard or defeating a competitor: he failed to qualify for the Olympic team | [as adj.] (qualifying) a World Cup qualifying game. ∎  be or make properly entitled to be classed in a particular way: [intr.] he qualifies as a genuine political refugee. 2. [intr.] become officially recognized as a practitioner of a particular profession or activity by satisfying the relevant conditions or requirements, typically by undertaking a course of study and passing examinations: after the war he qualified as a lawyer I've only just qualified. ∎  [tr.] officially recognize or establish (someone) as a practitioner of a particular profession or activity: the courses qualify you as an instructor of the sport | [as adj.] (qualified) qualified teachers. ∎  [tr.] make (someone) competent or knowledgeable enough to do something: I'm not qualified to write on the subject. 3. [tr.] make (a statement or assertion) less absolute; add reservations to: she felt obliged to qualify her first short answer| [as adj.] (qualified) qualified welcome. ∎ archaic make (something extreme or undesirable) less severe or extreme: his sincere piety, his large heart alway qualify his errors. ∎ archaic alter the strength or flavor of (something, esp. a liquid): he qualified his mug of water with a plentiful infusion of the liquor. ∎  (qualify something as) archaic attribute a specified quality to something; describe something as: the propositions have been qualified as heretical. ∎  [tr.] Gram. (of a word or phrase) attribute a quality to (another word, esp. a preceding noun).DERIVATIVES: qual·i·fi·a·ble adj.

qualify invest with a quality or condition; modify, moderate. XVI. — F. qualifier — medL. quālificāre, f. quālis of what kind, f. base of quī, quis WHO + -ālis -AL1; see -FY.
So qualification XVI. — F. or medL. quality †character, disposition; †title, description XIII; attribute, property; nature, kind; rank, position XIV; †profession XVI. ME. qualite — (O)F. qualité — L. quālitās. qualitative XVII. — late L.

QUALIFY. A traditional term used to indicate that one grammatical unit depends on another: in the phrase brave attempts, the adjective brave is said to qualify the noun attempts; that is, the adjective indicates the ‘quality’ or nature of the noun. Contemporary GRAMMARS generally use the term modify. See MODIFICATION.