qual|i|ty

qual|i|ty «KWOL uh tee», noun, plural -ties, adjective.

–n.

1. something special about an object that makes it what it is; essential attribute; characteristic: »

One quality of iron is hardness; one quality of sugar is sweetness. I chose my wife, as she did her wedding gown…for…such qualities as would wear well (Oliver Goldsmith).

SYNONYM(S): trait, feature.

2. nature, kind, or character of something: »

the refreshing quality of a drink. Much oratory and considerable action…was centered on cleaning up the environment and bettering the “quality of life” (Charles Boyle). You know the fiery quality of the duke (Shakespeare).

3. grade of excellence: »

food of poor quality.

4. fineness; merit; excellence: »

Look for quality rather than quantity.

5. high rank; good or high social position: »

The house…is frequented by gentry of the best quality (Henry Fielding).

6. Dialect. people of high rank: »

It was “baker's bread”—what the quality eat; none of your low-down corn-pone (Mark Twain).

7. character; position; relation: »

Dr. Smith was present, but in quality of friend, not physician.

8. an accomplishment; attainment: »

A just deportment, manners grac'd with ease, Elegant phrase…Are qualities that... (William Cooper).

9. Acoustics. the character of sounds aside from pitch and volume or intensity; timbre: »

The quality of a sound is determined by the number of overtones present and their respective intensities (Sears and Zemansky).

10. Logic. the character of a proposition as affirmative or negative.

11. Phonetics. the sound of a vowel as determined by the shape of the oral resonance chamber, especially by the position of the tongue and lips.

12. Especially British. a newspaper or magazine designed to appeal to a sophisticated or specialized group of readers.

–adj.

of good or high quality: »

quality merchandise. The Superintendent declared: “Educational excellence for every child in this city means quality integrated education” (Leonard Buder).

╂[< Old French qualite, learned borrowing from Latin quālitās (coined by Cicero) < quālis of what sort]

Synonym Study noun. 1 Quality, property mean a distinguishing mark or characteristic of a thing. Quality, the more general term, applies to any distinctive or characteristic feature of an individual or class, and it may be applied to people as well as things: »

Good nature and quick wit are among her outstanding qualities.

Property applies to a quality essential to the nature of a thing or always manifested by it: »

Heaviness is a property of lead.