quality

¹qual·i·ty

noun \ˈkwä-lə-tē\

plural qual·i·ties

Definition of QUALITY

1

a : peculiar and essential character : nature <her ethereal quality — Gay Talese> b : an inherent feature : property <had a quality of stridence, dissonance — Roald Dahl> c : capacity, role <in the quality of reader and companion — Joseph Conrad>

2

a : degree of excellence : grade <the quality of competing air service — Current Biography> b : superiority in kind <merchandise of quality>

3

a : social status : rank b : aristocracy

4

a : a distinguishing attribute : characteristic <possesses many fine qualities> b archaic : an acquired skill : accomplishment

5

: the character in a logical proposition of being affirmative or negative

6

: vividness of hue

7

a : timbre b : the identifying character of a vowel sound determined chiefly by the resonance of the vocal chambers in uttering it

8

: the attribute of an elementary sensation that makes it fundamentally unlike any other sensation

Examples of QUALITY

1. Honesty is a desirable quality.
2. Stubbornness is one of his bad qualities.
3. She has strong leadership qualities.
4. The house has many fine qualities.
5. His music has a primitive quality.
6. They offer quality at a reasonable price.

Origin of QUALITY

Middle English qualite, from Anglo-French qualité, from Latin qualitat-, qualitas, from qualis of what kind; akin to Latin qui who — more at who

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to QUALITY

Synonyms: caliber (or calibre), class, grade, rate

Antonyms: proletarians, proletariat

Related Words: hallmark; mark; footing, place, position, rank, standing, stature, status; benchmark, criterion, measure, par, standard, touchstone, yardstick

Near Antonyms: debasement, degradation; subordinateness, subordination; baseness, commonness, inferiority, lowliness, lowness

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Synonym Discussion of QUALITY

quality, property, character, attribute mean an intelligible feature by which a thing may be identified. quality is a general term applicable to any trait or characteristic whether individual or generic <material with a silky quality>. property implies a characteristic that belongs to a thing's essential nature and may be used to describe a type or species <the property of not conducting heat>. character applies to a peculiar and distinctive quality of a thing or a class <remarks of an unseemly character>. attribute implies a quality ascribed to a thing or a being <the attributes of a military hero>.

Rhymes with QUALITY

jollity, polity