disqualify

verb

dis·qual·i·fy | \ (ˌ)dis-ˈkwä-lə-ˌfī

disqualified; disqualifying; disqualifies

Definition of disqualify

transitive verb

1 : to deprive of the required qualities, properties, or conditions : make unfit

2 : to deprive of a power, right, or privilege

3 : to make ineligible for a prize or for further competition because of violations of the rules

Examples of disqualify in a Sentence

His poor eyesight disqualified him from becoming a pilot.

Recent Examples on the Web

Under the act, states removed voters for not voting, moving between voting districts, death, committing a disqualifying crime, or being judged mentally incapacitated. — NBC News, "States removed 17 million voters from rolls in two years, government agency says," 27 June 2019 DiMasi is challenging that, arguing that the federal counts aren’t specifically included among the disqualifying convictions. — Matt Stout, BostonGlobe.com, "After being rejected by the state, DiMasi is now a registered lobbyist at City Hall," 20 June 2019 More recently, in addition to disqualifying lawmakers, the government has banned a fringe pro-independence political party, jailed pro-democracy protest leaders, and expelled a veteran Financial Times journalist. — Jiayang Fan, The New Yorker, "Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Backs Down, but the Protests Continue," 17 June 2019 The commission and the constitutional court have also helped by disqualifying opposition MPs and, in one case, banning an entire opposition party. — The Economist, "The leader of the Thai junta tortures the rules to remain in power," 8 June 2019 Lawmakers in Nevada, where recreational marijuana use is legal, have been considering a proposal that would ban companies from disqualifying job candidates for testing positive for pot. — Jennifer Peltz, The Seattle Times, "NYC may ban pre-hire marijuana tests for many job applicants," 12 Apr. 2019 With Republicans facing headwinds going into the November midterms, the party is waging an intense slash-and-burn campaign aimed at disqualifying Democratic candidates. — Fox News Staff, Fox News, "The GOP battle for the speakership intensifies," 7 Sep. 2018 When will the 13 Angry Democrats (& those who worked for President O), reveal their disqualifying Conflicts of Interest? — Ryan Teague Beckwith, Time, "Read the 191 Arguments President Trump Has Made Against the Mueller Investigation," 7 June 2018 This set of rules also curbed the practice of medically disqualifying players whose malady was not being good enough to keep occupying a scholarship. — Andy Staples, SI.com, "The Latest Evidence That Nick Saban Lives in His Competitors' Heads," 21 May 2018

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