disqualification

noun dis·qual·i·fi·ca·tion \ (ˌ)dis-ˌkwä-lə-fə-ˈkā-shən \

|Updated on: 21 Jun 2018

Definition of disqualification

1 : something that disqualifies or incapacitates

2 : the act of disqualifying : the state of being disqualified

disqualification from office

See disqualification defined for kids

Recent Examples of disqualification from the Web

Use of materials that are not original to you, not in the public domain or that have not been licensed from the applicable owners by you may result in disqualification.

— CNN, "OFFICIAL RULES AND REGULATIONS," 12 June 2018
The crawfish must arrive at the judging area between 12:30 and 12:45 p.m.; one minute earlier or later results in disqualification.

— carol wolfram, NOLA.com, "Hospice Crawfish Cookoff in Slidell: Check out the photos," 26 Apr. 2018
Bolt got the news on Thursday as an international court upheld the disqualification of one of his teammates on the victorious Jamaican 400-meter relay squad at the 2008 Beijing Games.

— david wharton, latimes.com, "Usain Bolt loses an Olympic gold medal after teammate's doping appeal is denied," 31 May 2018
The disqualification comes as a result of an anonymous tip in March sent to London’s Natural History Museum, which runs the competition.

— julissa treviño, Smithsonian, "Contest Judges Rule Wildlife Photography Winner Used Taxidermic Creature," 30 Apr. 2018
An online petition calling for the disqualification of the trial's judges has gathered more than 1.2 million signatures.

— amanda erickson, Washington Post, "A woman was sexually assaulted by 5 men. A Spanish court says it’s not rape.," 29 Apr. 2018
Ezra refused to grant a new trial based on the disqualification, saying no new arguments on the matter had been raised by Uresti.

— guillermo contreras, San Antonio Express-News, "Judge denies Uresti, Cain’s requests for new criminal trial," 5 Apr. 2018
Nothing kills the drama of a race like the retroactive disqualification of a top finisher.

— martin fritz huber, Outside Online, "It's Time to Change the Rules of Track and Field," 28 Mar. 2018
Fluency in another language should be seen as a gift, not a disqualification.

— jay mathews, Washington Post, "Eighth-graders taking Advance Placement language classes? Oui.," 6 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disqualification.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.