underqualified

adjective

un·​der·​qual·​i·​fied ˌən-dər-ˈkwä-lə-ˌfīd 

: lacking sufficient qualifications (such as adequate education and experience) for a particular job, assignment, etc.

an underqualified candidate

… if entrants are greatly underqualified academically, new curricula will be required.

—Julian C. Stanley

Examples of underqualified in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Those critics argue that the overhaul of the courts could give the governing party more power and open the door to underqualified or easily influenced candidates. —James Wagner, New York Times, 1 June 2025

Without a rigorous vetting process, companies risk hiring underqualified talent or teams that overpromise and underdeliver. —Luis Peralta, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

In many places, part of the problem is that kids have underqualified teachers, who are underpaid and not respected by the community. —Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2014

But that mindset can lead to underqualified hires who lack the ability to manage the complexity and pace of executive-level demands. —Kenzie Biggins, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for underqualified

• acetaldehyde
• acetanilide
• arabinoside
• cycloheximide
• cyclophosphamide
• diethylamide
• dinucleotide
• ferricyanide
• ferrocyanide
• glutaraldehyde
• glyceraldehyde
• hydroperoxide