eligibility

noun

el·​i·​gi·​bil·​i·​ty ˌe-lə-jə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

: the quality or state of being eligible : fitness or suitability to be chosen, selected, or allowed to do something

The applicants must meet all requirements for eligibility.

… should "Shoeless Joe" Jackson, of "Black Sox" infamy, also be granted eligibility for the Hall of Fame?

—David A. Kaplan

Mass mailings go out to low-income areas, and if a letter is returned as undeliverable, the party uses it to challenge that voter's eligibility.

—Sasha Abramsky

Examples of eligibility in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Also exposed was information about student disabilities and student eligibility status for federal programs, such as those available to help students from low-income families. — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

That’s because the players’ eligibility was ordered in the Indiana courts. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026

The federal government has left it to the states to identify high-demand industries and grant Workforce Pell eligibility accordingly. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026

The governor, himself an attorney, is depicted as unlawfully interfering with eligibility rules that member schools, including those in Ohio, have contractually agreed to follow. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing eligibility

• re-eligibility

Rhymes for eligibility

• acceptability
• accessibility
• adaptability
• admissibility
• advisability
• affordability
• allowability
• amenability
• amiability
• appealability
• applicability
• availability