disqualify

verb

dis·​qual·​i·​fy (ˌ)dis-ˈkwä-lə-ˌfī How to pronounce disqualify (audio)
disqualified; disqualifying; disqualifies

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The justices could have done what their Brazilian counterparts did—ruled that abuses of power and attempts to overturn an election were disqualifying for the highest office of the land. Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 23 Feb. 2025 To this moment when someone so patently unqualified, really disqualified from any position of any position of responsibility, is poised to become director of the nation's preeminent law enforcement agency? Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025 That critical move closed off the only certain avenue for blocking Mr. Trump’s return to power: a Senate vote to disqualify him from running again. Annie Karni, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025 Musk, a defense contractor, has already faced questions of whether his wide-reaching business interests disqualify him as a government watchdog. Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disqualify

Word History

First Known Use

1701, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of disqualify was in 1701

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disqualify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disqualify. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

disqualify

verb
dis·​qual·​i·​fy (ˈ)dis-ˈkwäl-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce disqualify (audio)
disqualified; disqualifying
: to make or declare unfit or not qualified

Legal Definition

disqualify

transitive verb
dis·​qual·​i·​fy dis-ˈkwä-lə-ˌfī How to pronounce disqualify (audio)
disqualified; disqualifying
1
: to deprive of the required qualities, properties, or conditions
a financial interest in the case that disqualified the judge
2
: to deprive of a right or privilege especially after a hearing
misconduct that disqualified the employee from receiving unemployment benefits

More from Merriam-Webster on disqualify

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