Main Entry: ¹qual·i·ty

Pronunciation: \ˈkwä-lə-tē\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural qual·i·ties

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

Date: 14th century

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

synonyms 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 traditional attributes of a military hero>.