DictionaryAI

quality

KWAH-luh-tee/ˈkwɑ.lə.ti/UKKWOL-i-tee/ˈkwɒl.ɪ.ti/

Pluralqualities (some meanings)

6 meanings of quality

Practice

  1. 1
    noununcountable
    How good or bad something is, including how well it is made and whether it has faults.

    Like telling the difference between a fresh apple and a spoiled one.

    The hotel is famous for the high quality of its service.

    She always chooses quality over price when shopping.

    UsageSay how good it is: high quality, low quality, good quality.

    Similarstandard, caliber, grade

    Note
  2. 2
    excellentadjective
    Well made and good enough for the job it is meant to do.

    They bought a quality sofa that should last for years.

    It is a quality tool, strong and well made.

    UsagePut it before a noun: quality food. In formal writing, say high-quality.

    Similarfine, superior, excellent, first-rate, premium

    Oppositeinferior, shoddy, poor, substandard

    Note
  3. 3
    nouncountable
    A feature of someone or something, or what something is like.

    Kindness is the quality I admire most in a friend.

    Good leaders share several important qualities.

    UsageSay a quality in someone or the qualities of something. They can be good or bad.

    Similarcharacteristic, attribute, trait, feature, property

Less common meanings

  1. 4
    serious newspapernounUKcountable
    A serious newspaper that reports the news carefully and in depth.

    My dad buys one of the qualities every Sunday morning.

    The qualities covered the election in great detail.

    UsageUsually plural: the qualities are the serious papers, not the tabloids.

    Similarbroadsheet

    Oppositetabloid

    Note
  2. 5
    nounarchaiccountable or uncountable
    In old use, a person's rank in society, especially a high rank.

    UsageSeen in old phrases like a lady of quality, meaning someone of high rank.

    Note
  3. 6
    noun
    In a mix of liquid and gas, how much of it is gas by weight.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of quality apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It came from Latin qualitas, based on qualis meaning "of what kind." Cicero made this Latin word to translate a Greek word created by Plato.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 5 facts