qualification
Meaning
An official record or achievement (such as a degree, certificate, or skill) that proves you have the ability to do something.
A skill or type of experience that makes you suitable for a particular job or activity.
Something that is added to a statement to limit its meaning or make it less strong.
Structure
Usage
She left school with no formal qualifications.
Previous teaching experience is a necessary qualification for this job.
I support the plan, but with the qualification that it must be done cheaply.
Etymology
The word 'qualification' originates from the Medieval Latin qualificationem, a noun of action derived from qualificare, meaning 'to attribute a quality to'. This Latin verb is a compound of qualis ('of what kind', relating to quality) and facere ('to make'). The literal sense is thus 'the action of making something possess a certain quality'. Over time, the meaning evolved from the general act of attributing a quality to the more specific modern senses: first, the action of proving one possesses the required qualities (certification), and later, the official record or skill that serves as such proof, as well as a statement that limits or modifies another.
Analysis
- qual: From Latin qualis (of what kind, of such a kind). Functions as the core root relating to quality or nature. - ify: From Latin -ificare, a combining form of facere (to make). Functions as a verb-forming suffix. - cation: From Latin -cationem (action, process, or result). Functions as a noun-forming suffix indicating the action or result of the verb.