qualified
Americanadjective
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having the qualities, accomplishments, etc., that fit a person for some function, office, or the like.
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having the qualities, accomplishments, etc., required by law or custom for getting, having, or exercising a right, holding an office, or the like.
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modified, limited, or restricted in some way.
a qualified endorsement.
adjective
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having the abilities, qualities, attributes, etc, necessary to perform a particular job or task
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limited, modified, or restricted; not absolute
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of qualified
Explanation
Qualified means something depends on another action occurring. If your friend receives a qualified offer on her house, that means something else has to happen — like a bank approving the loan — before it's sold. Qualified is an adjective with multiple meanings. Employers seek the most qualified applicants, meaning those who have the most experience and relevant training. Being qualified might also mean you have paperwork that shows you had certain training or meet certain standards. Or qualified can mean "partial" or "incomplete." If you approve of something but others need to agree before it's final, you would give your qualified approval.
Vocabulary lists containing qualified
Excerpt from "The Philosophy of Literary Form" by Kenneth Burke
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Michelle Obama's Speech at the 2016 DNC
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40 SAT words Beginning with "Q"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Last year, the government announced plans, external that would mean only qualified healthcare professionals could carry out high-risk procedures such as non-surgical BBLs.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The funds in an HSA are portable — meaning they stay with you no matter where you work — and can be used to pay for qualified medical expenses.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
England qualified for Euro 2000 with a two-legged play-off victory against Scotland, but the campaign was a dismal failure.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
To help fill the staffing gap, the FAA said it expects five supervisors and, by the end of July, four trainees to be qualified to help manage traffic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
He was to travel on the Beagle—not as a “finished Naturalist,” but as a scientist-in-training “amply qualified for collecting, observing and noting any thing worthy to be noted in Natural History.”
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.