variants:
or pre-qualify
prequalified or pre-qualified; prequalifying or pre-qualifying
Definition of prequalify
1
no obj
: to qualify as a candidate : to meet the preliminary requirements for something
She prequalified for a mortgage. Experts suggest that you pre-qualify for a loan before you begin shopping in order to make sure there will be no deal-killing glitches.— Bill Lindsey … sometimes, you will prequalify for an amount that won't pan out in the preapproval process. You don't want to look for homes that, in actuality, you can't afford.— Donna Raskin and Susan Hawthorne To prequalify, contractors are required to complete questionnaires that probe such things as the contractor's financial situation, the experience of the company and its key personnel …— David J. Pratt
2
obj
: to qualify or certify (someone or something) as a candidate
The bank prequalified her for a mortgage. … the city prequalified three construction and engineering consortiums to bid on the $535 million project. — The Ottawa (Canada) Business Journal
Keep scrolling for more
Test Your Vocabulary
The Exceptions Quiz III
-
- Which of these words does not mean "nonsense"?

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Anagram puzzles meet word search.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Share prequalify
Time Traveler for prequalify
The first known use of prequalify was in 1901
See more words from the same year