QUALITY

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does quality mean? 

• QUALITY (noun)
  The noun QUALITY has 5 senses:

1. an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone
2. a degree or grade of excellence or worth
3. a characteristic property that defines the apparent individual nature of something
4. (music) the distinctive property of a complex sound (a voice or noise or musical sound)
5. high social status

  Familiarity information: QUALITY used as a noun is common.

• QUALITY (adjective)
  The adjective QUALITY has 2 senses:

1. of superior grade
2. of high social status

  Familiarity information: QUALITY used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• QUALITY (noun)

Sense 1

quality [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

An essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

the quality of mercy is not strained

Hypernyms ("quality" is a kind of...):

attribute (an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of an entity)

Attribute:

good (having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified)

bad (having undesirable or negative qualities)

positive (characterized by or displaying affirmation or acceptance or certainty etc.)

negative (characterized by or displaying negation or denial or opposition or resistance; having no positive features)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "quality"):

lawfulness (the quality of conforming to law)

faithfulness; fidelity (the quality of being faithful)

infidelity; unfaithfulness (the quality of being unfaithful)

mundaneness; mundanity; sophistication; worldliness (the quality or character of being intellectually sophisticated and worldly through cultivation or experience or disillusionment)

naiveness; naivete; naivety (lack of sophistication or worldliness)

penetrability; perviousness (the quality of being penetrable (by people or light or missiles etc.))

impenetrability; imperviousness (the quality of being impenetrable (by people or light or missiles etc.))

soapiness (the quality of being soap or being covered with soap)

fibrosity; fibrousness (the quality of being fibrous)

directiveness; directivity (the quality of being directive)

extremeness (the quality of being extreme)

closeness; stuffiness (the quality of being close and poorly ventilated)

adequacy; sufficiency (the quality of being sufficient for the end in view)

worth (the quality that renders something desirable or valuable or useful)

ineptitude; worthlessness (having no qualities that would render it valuable or useful)

good; goodness (that which is pleasing or valuable or useful)

bad; badness (that which is below standard or expectations as of ethics or decency)

parental quality (a quality appropriate to a parent)

unholiness (the quality of being unholy)

unlawfulness (the quality of failing to conform to law)

elegance (a refined quality of gracefulness and good taste)

elegance (a quality of neatness and ingenious simplicity in the solution of a problem (especially in science or mathematics))

inelegance (the quality of lacking refinement and good taste)

urbanity (the quality or character of life in a city or town)

comprehensibility; understandability (the quality of comprehensible language or thought)

expressiveness (the quality of being expressive)

incomprehensibility (the quality of being incomprehensible)

humaneness (the quality of compassion or consideration for others (people or animals))

inhumaneness; inhumanity (the quality of lacking compassion or consideration for others)

morality (concern with the distinction between good and evil or right and wrong; right or good conduct)

immorality (the quality of not being in accord with standards of right or good conduct)

amorality (the quality of being amoral)

divinity (the quality of being divine)

holiness; sanctitude; sanctity (the quality of being holy)

ideality (the quality of being ideal)

fecundity; fruitfulness (the quality of something that causes or assists healthy growth)

aridity; barrenness; fruitlessness (a condition yielding nothing of value)

usefulness; utility (the quality of being of practical use)

insolubility (the quality of being insoluble and difficult to dissolve in liquid)

stuff (unspecified qualities required to do or be something)

hot stuff; voluptuousness (the quality of being attractive and exciting (especially sexually exciting))

humor; humour (the quality of being funny)

pathos; poignancy (a quality that arouses emotions (especially pity or sorrow))

tone (the quality of something (an act or a piece of writing) that reveals the attitudes and presuppositions of the author)

brachycephalism; brachycephaly (the quality of being brachycephalic)

dolichocephalism; dolichocephaly (the quality of being dolichocephalic)

relativity (the quality of being relative and having significance only in relation to something else)

responsiveness (the quality of being responsive; reacting quickly; as a quality of people, it involves responding with emotion to people and events)

deadness; unresponsiveness (the quality of being unresponsive; not reacting; as a quality of people, it is marked by a failure to respond quickly or with emotion to people or events)

subjectivism (the quality of being subjective)

snootiness (the quality of being snooty)

ulteriority (the quality of being ulterior)

memorability (the quality of being worth remembering)

woodiness; woodsiness (the quality of abounding in trees)

solubility (the quality of being soluble and easily dissolved in liquid)

measurability; quantifiability (the quality of being measurable)

inutility; unusefulness; uselessness (the quality of having no practical use)

asset; plus (a useful or valuable quality)

constructiveness (the quality of serving to build or improve)

destructiveness (the quality of causing destruction)

positiveness; positivism; positivity (a quality or state characterized by certainty or acceptance or affirmation and dogmatic assertiveness)

negativeness; negativism; negativity (characterized by habitual skepticism and a disagreeable tendency to deny or oppose or resist suggestions or commands)

occidentalism (the quality or customs or mannerisms characteristic of Western civilizations)

orientalism (the quality or customs or mannerisms characteristic of Asian civilizations)

power; powerfulness (possession of controlling influence)

ability (the quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment)

impotence; impotency; powerlessness (the quality of lacking strength or power; being weak and feeble)

inability; unfitness (lacking the power to perform)

romance; romanticism (an exciting and mysterious quality (as of a heroic time or adventure))

domesticity (the quality of being domestic or domesticated)

boundlessness; infiniteness; infinitude; limitlessness; unboundedness (the quality of being infinite; without bound or limit)

boundedness; finiteness; finitude (the quality of being finite)

waxiness (the quality of being made of wax or covered with wax)

appearance; visual aspect (outward or visible aspect of a person or thing)

nature (the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized)

humanity; humanness; manhood (the quality of being human)

air; atmosphere; aura (a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing)

excellence (the quality of excelling; possessing good qualities in high degree)

ultimate (the finest or most superior quality of its kind)

characteristic (a distinguishing quality)

salability; salableness (the quality of being salable or marketable)

changeability; changeableness (the quality of being changeable; having a marked tendency to change)

changelessness; unchangeability; unchangeableness; unchangingness (the quality of being unchangeable; having a marked tendency to remain unchanged)

sameness (the quality of being alike)

difference (the quality of being unlike or dissimilar)

certainty; foregone conclusion; sure thing (something that is certain)

probability (the quality of being probable; a probable event or the most probable event)

precariousness; uncertainness; uncertainty (being unsettled or in doubt or dependent on chance)

factuality; factualness (the quality of being actual or based on fact)

counterfactuality (the quality of being contrary to fact)

protectiveness (the quality of providing protection)

ineptness; unsuitability; unsuitableness (the quality of having the wrong properties for a specific purpose)

attraction; attractiveness (the quality of arousing interest; being attractive or something that attracts)

clarity; clearness; uncloudedness (the quality of clear water)

opacity; opaqueness (the quality of being opaque to a degree; the degree to which something reduces the passage of light)

divisibility (the quality of being divisible; the capacity to be divided into parts or divided among a number of persons)

ease; easiness; simpleness; simplicity (freedom from difficulty or hardship or effort)

difficultness; difficulty (the quality of being difficult)

burnability; combustibility; combustibleness (the quality of being capable of igniting and burning)

suitability; suitableness (the quality of having the properties that are right for a specific purpose)

arability (the quality of land that is appropriate for cultivation)

impressiveness (the quality of making a strong or vivid impression on the mind)

navigability (the quality of being suitable for the passage of a ship or aircraft)

neediness (the quality of needing attention and affection and reassurance to a marked degree)

distressingness; painfulness (the quality of being painful)

piquance; piquancy; piquantness (the quality of being agreeably stimulating or mentally exciting)

publicity (the quality of being open to public view)

spinnability (the quality of being suitable for spinning or the capability of being spun (used of textile fibers))

corporality; corporeality; materiality; physicalness (the quality of being physical; consisting of matter)

immateriality; incorporeality (the quality of not being physical; not consisting of matter)

unpopularity (the quality of lacking general approval or acceptance)

satisfactoriness (the quality of giving satisfaction sufficient to meet a demand or requirement)

unsatisfactoriness (the quality of being inadequate or unsuitable)

mundaneness; mundanity; ordinariness (the quality of being commonplace and ordinary)

extraordinariness (the quality of being extraordinary and not commonly encountered)

ethnicity (an ethnic quality or affiliation resulting from racial or cultural ties)

curiousness; foreignness; strangeness (the quality of being alien or not native)

nativeness (the quality of belonging to or being connected with a certain place or region by virtue of birth or origin)

originality (the quality of being new and original (not derived from something else))

unoriginality (the quality of being unoriginal)

correctness; rightness (conformity to fact or truth)

incorrectness; wrongness (the quality of not conforming to fact or truth)

accuracy; truth (the quality of being near to the true value)

accuracy ((mathematics) the number of significant figures given in a number)

inaccuracy (the quality of being inaccurate and having errors)

distinction (a distinguishing quality)

popularity (the quality of being widely admired or accepted or sought after)

morbidity; morbidness; unwholesomeness (the quality of being unhealthful and generally bad for you)

wholesomeness (the quality of being beneficial and generally good for you)

particularity; specialness (the quality of being particular and pertaining to a specific case or instance)

generality (the quality of being general or widespread or having general applicability)

simpleness; simplicity (the quality of being simple or uncompounded)

complexity; complexness (the quality of being intricate and compounded)

regularity (the quality of being characterized by a fixed principle or rate)

irregularity; unregularity (not characterized by a fixed principle or rate; at irregular intervals)

mobility (the quality of moving freely)

immobility (the quality of not moving)

pleasantness; sweetness (the quality of giving pleasure)

unpleasantness (the quality of giving displeasure)

believability; credibility; credibleness (the quality of being believable or trustworthy)

incredibility; incredibleness (the quality of being incredible)

logicality; logicalness (correct and valid reasoning)

illogic; illogicality; illogicalness; inconsequence (invalid or incorrect reasoning)

naturalness (the quality of being natural or based on natural principles)

unnaturalness (the quality of being unnatural or not based on natural principles)

vertu; virtu (artistic quality)

Sense 2

quality [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A degree or grade of excellence or worth

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

caliber; calibre; quality

Context examples:

the quality of students has risen / an executive of low caliber

Hypernyms ("quality" is a kind of...):

degree; grade; level (a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality)

Attribute:

inferior (of low or inferior quality)

superior (of high or superior quality or performance)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "quality"):

inferiority; low quality (an inferior quality)

high quality; superiority (the quality of being superior)

Sense 3

quality [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A characteristic property that defines the apparent individual nature of something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

lineament; character; quality

Context examples:

each town has a quality all its own / the radical character of our demands

Hypernyms ("quality" is a kind of...):

attribute; dimension; property (a construct whereby objects or individuals can be distinguished)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "quality"):

texture (the essential quality of something)

Sense 4

quality [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

(music) the distinctive property of a complex sound (a voice or noise or musical sound)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

timbre; tone; quality; timber

Context examples:

the timbre of her soprano was rich and lovely / the muffled tones of the broken bell summoned them to meet

Hypernyms ("quality" is a kind of...):

sound property (an attribute of sound)

Domain category:

music (an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "quality"):

harmonic (any of a series of musical tones whose frequencies are integral multiples of the frequency of a fundamental)

resonance (the quality imparted to voiced speech sounds by the action of the resonating chambers of the throat and mouth and nasal cavities)

color; coloration; colour; colouration (the timbre of a musical sound)

nasality (a quality of the voice that is produced by nasal resonators)

plangency; resonance; reverberance; ringing; sonority; sonorousness; vibrancy (having the character of a loud deep sound; the quality of being resonant)

shrillness; stridence; stridency (having the timbre of a loud high-pitched sound)

register ((music) the timbre that is characteristic of a certain range and manner of production of the human voice or of different pipe organ stops or of different musical instruments)

Sense 5

quality [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

High social status

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Context example:

a man of quality

Hypernyms ("quality" is a kind of...):

rank; social rank; social station; social status (position in a social hierarchy)

• QUALITY (adjective)

Sense 1

quality [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Of superior grade

Synonyms:

choice; prize; quality; select; prime

Context examples:

choice wines / prime beef / prize carnations / quality paper / select peaches

Similar:

superior (of high or superior quality or performance)

Sense 2

quality [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Of high social status

Context examples:

people of quality / a quality family

Similar:

upper-class (occupying the highest socioeconomic position in a society)