The quality of something is how good or bad it is.
Everyone can greatly improve the quality of life.
Other services vary dramatically in quality.
...high-quality paper and plywood.
Synonyms: standard, standing, class, condition More Synonyms of quality
2. uncountable noun [oft NOUN noun]
Something of quality is of a high standard.
...a college of quality.
In our work, quality is paramount.
We have been successful because we are offering a quality service.
Synonyms: excellence, status, merit, position More Synonyms of quality
3. countable noun [usually plural]
Someone's qualities are the good characteristics that they have which are part of their nature.
Sometimes you wonder where your kids get their good qualities.
He wanted to introduce mature people with leadership qualities.
A job analysis should also include what skills and personal qualities are required.
Synonyms: characteristic, feature, attribute, point More Synonyms of quality
4. countable noun [oft adjective NOUN]
You can describe a particular characteristic of a person or thing as a quality.
...a childlike quality.
...the pretentious quality of the poetry. [+ of]
Thyme tea can be used by adults for its antiseptic qualities.
Synonyms: nature, character, constitution, make More Synonyms of quality
5. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
The quality papers or the quality press are the more serious newspapers which give detailed accounts of world events, as well as reports on business, culture, and society.
[British]
Even the quality papers agreed that it was a triumph.
More Synonyms of quality
quality in British English
(ˈkwɒlɪtɪ)
nounWord forms: plural-ties
1.
a distinguishing characteristic, property, or attribute
2.
the basic character or nature of something
3.
a trait or feature of personality
4.
degree or standard of excellence, esp a high standard
5.
(formerly) high social status or the distinction associated with it
6.
musical tone colour; timbre
7. logic
the characteristic of a proposition that is dependent on whether it is affirmative or negative
8. phonetics
the distinctive character of a vowel, determined by the configuration of the mouth, tongue, etc, when it is articulated and distinguished from the pitch and stress with which it is uttered
9. (modifier)
having or showing excellence or superiority
a quality product
Word origin
C13: from Old French qualité, from Latin quālitās state, nature, from quālis of what sort
quality in American English
(ˈkwɔləti; ˈkwɑləti)
nounWord forms: pluralˈqualities
1.
any of the features that make something what it is; characteristic element; attribute
2.
basic nature; character; kind
3.
the degree of excellence which a thing possesses
4.
excellence; superiority
5. Rare
position, capacity, or role
6.
a. Rare
high social position
b. Chiefly Dialectal
people of high social position
7. Acoustics
the property of a tone determined by its overtones; timbre
8. Logic
that characteristic of a proposition according to which it is classified as affirmative or negative
9. Phonetics
the distinctive character of a vowel sound as determined by the resonance of the vocal cords and the shape of the air passage above the larynx when the sound is produced
adjective
10.
of high quality
quality goods
SYNONYMY NOTE: quality, the broadest in scope of these terms, refers to a characteristic (physical or nonphysical,individual or typical) that constitutes the basic nature of a thing or is one of itsdistinguishing features [the quality of mercy]; property applies to any quality that belongs to a thing by reason of the essential natureof the thing [elasticity is a property of rubber]; character is the scientific or formal term for a distinctive or peculiar quality of an individualor of a class, species, etc. [a hereditary character]; an attribute is a quality assigned to a thing, esp. one that may reasonably be deduced as appropriateto it [omnipotence is an attribute of God]; trait specif. applies to a distinguishing quality of a personality [enthusiasm is one of his outstanding traits]
Word origin
ME qualite < OFr < L qualitas < qualis, of what kind: see quale
COBUILD Collocations
quality
excellent quality
image quality
improve quality
leadership qualities
poor quality
qualities are evident
ride quality
star quality
Examples of 'quality' in a sentence
quality
The visible effects can also include obesity and poor skin quality.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The ombudsman said reliability and consistency were crucial to give them a decent quality of life.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Keep things good quality from the middle of the road.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They are what give him star quality.
The Sun (2016)
Systems are demanding predictable performance in highly complex environments to provide service quality.
Computing (2010)
We need urgent investment to continue to provide the quality of care people deserve.
The Sun (2017)
It was a performance full of character and quality.
The Sun (2016)
The problem is the quality as well as the quantity of leaders.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
When scouting, he focuses chiefly on the player's personal qualities rather than his physical output.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She said:'We are also trying to ensure grammar schools help to increase the quality and standard of education in an area more generally.
The Sun (2016)
This is a bonus for farmers who had feared the rain would produce poor quality grain.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The value is yours to judge and quality of life is paramount.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The sound quality is good but not noise cancelling.
The Sun (2016)
You have the star quality that could be exactly what a group is looking for.
The Sun (2011)
Who is best able to get good quality service out of a publicly provided health care system?
Redwood, John The Global Marketplace (1993)
Often qualities of the person can be tied to what their name means.
Christianity Today (2000)
What are the personal qualities that matter here?
Oxenhorn, Harvey Tuning the Rig: A Journey to the Arctic (1990)
We do actually have some kind of control over the nature and the quality of those changes.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
We played very well against a quality side.
The Sun (2014)
Other worries were language barriers and lower standards of quality in some countries.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
This leap in quality also means we motoring journalists have pretty much had it.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Then it said the air quality was bad.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
But today cars sold anywhere in the world offer standard quality and reliability.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
That it is open to outside contributors of uncertain quality is part of its nature.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
You see qualities in people that others miss and you can be an inspiring friend.
The Sun (2009)
We are aiming to improve quality and training rather than going for quantity.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
quality
British English: quality /ˈkwɒlɪtɪ/ NOUN
The quality of something is how good or bad it is.
...the high quality of the paper.
American English: quality
Arabic: جَوْدَة
Brazilian Portuguese: qualidade
Chinese: 质量
Croatian: kvaliteta
Czech: kvalita
Danish: kvalitet
Dutch: kwaliteit
European Spanish: calidad
Finnish: laatu
French: qualité
German: Qualität
Greek: ποιότητα
Italian: qualità
Japanese: 質
Korean: 품질
Norwegian: kvalitet
Polish: jakość
European Portuguese: qualidade
Romanian: calitate
Russian: качество
Latin American Spanish: calidad
Swedish: kvalitet
Thai: คุณภาพ
Turkish: kalite
Ukrainian: якість
Vietnamese: chất lượng
All related terms of 'quality'
air quality
the composition of the air in terms of how much pollution it contains
low-quality
poor or inadequate
image quality
The quality of something is how good or bad it is.
poor quality
The quality of something is how good or bad it is.
quality food
Food is what people and animals eat.
quality press
the more serious newspapers which give detailed accounts of world events, as well as reports on business, culture , and society
quality sleep
Sleep is the natural state of rest in which your eyes are closed, your body is inactive , and your mind does not think .
quality time
If people spend quality time together, they spend a period of time relaxing or doing things that they both enjoy, and not worrying about work or other responsibilities.
ride quality
The quality of something is how good or bad it is.
star quality
Someone's qualities are the good characteristics that they have which are part of their nature.
water quality
Water quality is the degree to which water is clean , and whether it is suitable for drinking, for making plants grow , or for fish to live in, etc.
improve quality
The quality of something is how good or bad it is.
letter quality
of or producing printed characters similar in quality and clarity to typewritten characters
mixture quality
Mixture quality is the degree to which a mixture is an ideal mixture.
quality circle
A quality circle is a small group of workers and managers who meet to solve problems and improve the quality of the organization's products or services.
quality control
In an organization that produces goods or provides services , quality control is the activity of checking that the goods or services are of an acceptable standard .
quality factor
a property of ionizing radiations that affects their ability to cause biological effects . For weakly ionizing radiations such as gamma rays it has value 1 whilst for alpha rays it is about 20
quality papers
the more serious newspapers which give detailed accounts of world events, as well as reports on business, culture , and society
quality player
A player in a sport or game is a person who takes part, either as a job or for fun .
quality system
A quality system is a structure for managing the quality of the output of a manufacturer .
excellent quality
The quality of something is how good or bad it is.
quality assurance
Quality assurance involves making sure that no defective products are made during the manufacturing process.
quality controller
a person responsible for checking that the goods or services produced by an organization are of an acceptable standard
quality newspaper
a more serious newspaper which gives detailed accounts of world events, as well as reports on business, culture , and society
quality accommodation
Accommodation is used to refer to buildings or rooms where people live or stay .
quality ingredients
Ingredients are the things that are used to make something, especially all the different foods you use when you are cooking a particular dish .
quality of life
the general well-being of a person or society , defined in terms of health and happiness, rather than wealth
r-color
an r -like acoustic quality given to a vowel , produced by retroflex articulation
near letter quality
a quality of print that is not quite letter quality, but is better than draft quality
acceptable quality level
a quality standard that indicates the maximum percentage of defects allowed in a production process
draft-quality printing
low-quality , high-speed output in printed form from a printer linked to a word processor
letter-quality printing
high-quality output in printed form from a printer linked to a word processor
total quality management
Total quality management is a set of management principles aimed at improving performance throughout a company , especially by involving employees in decision-making . The abbreviation → TQM is also used.
relative biological effectiveness
a property of ionizing radiations that affects their ability to cause biological effects. For weakly ionizing radiations such as gamma rays it has value 1 whilst for alpha rays it is about 20
trade paperback
a paperback book of a size similar to a typical hard-cover book, intended for sale in bookstores as distinguished from a cheaper and smaller paperback intended for sale on racks at drugstores , newsstands, etc.
TQM
TQM is a set of management principles aimed at improving performance throughout a company , especially by involving employees in decision-making . TQM is an abbreviation for 'total quality management'.