quality
Other forms: qualities
The qualities of something are its distinguishing features, and those can be good or bad. The qualities you look for when buying a tightrope might include strength and pliability, but you probably wouldn't want one with a slippery quality.
Quality can also be used as a purely positive term: "you're a person of quality," or "you've got a quality operation" are entirely complimentary, meaning you and your operation are superior. There's a joke about how "quality control" in fast food chains assures that whenever you order a burger in a restaurant in that chain — whether you’re in Dallas or Des Moines — the quality is always the same — bad!
Definitions of quality
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an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone“"the quality of mercy is not strained"--Shakespeare”types:attraction, attractivenessthe quality of arousing interest; being attractive or something that attractsopacity, opaquenessthe quality of being opaque to a degree; the degree to which something reduces the passage of lightdivisibilitythe quality of being divisible; the capacity to be divided into parts or divided among a number of personssuitability, suitablenessthe quality of having the properties that are right for a specific purposearabilitythe quality of land that is appropriate for cultivationimpressivenessthe quality of making a strong or vivid impression on the mindnavigabilitythe quality of being suitable for the passage of a ship or aircraftneedinessthe quality of needing attention and affection and reassurance to a marked degreepublicitythe quality of being open to public viewspinnabilitythe quality of being suitable for spinning or the capability of being spun (used of textile fibers)ineptness, unsuitability, unsuitablenessthe quality of having the wrong properties for a specific purposeprotectivenessthe quality of providing protectionnaturethe essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognizedexcellencethe quality of excelling; possessing good qualities in high degreeultimatethe finest or most superior quality of its kindchangelessness, unchangeability, unchangeableness, unchangingnessthe quality of being unchangeable; having a marked tendency to remain unchangedsamenessthe quality of being alikedifferencethe quality of being unlike or dissimilarprobabilitythe quality of being probable; a probable event or the most probable eventcounterfactualitythe quality of being contrary to factcorporality, corporeality, materiality, physicalnessthe quality of being physical; consisting of matterparticularity, specialnessthe quality of being particular and pertaining to a specific case or instancegeneralitythe quality of being general or widespread or having general applicabilityregularitythe quality of being characterized by a fixed principle or ratemobilitythe quality of moving freelyimmobilitythe quality of not movingunpleasantnessthe quality of giving displeasurenaturalnessthe quality of being natural or based on natural principlesunnaturalnessthe quality of being unnatural or not based on natural principleswholesomenessthe quality of being beneficial and generally good for yousatisfactorinessthe quality of giving satisfaction sufficient to meet a demand or requirementunsatisfactorinessthe quality of being inadequate or unsuitableextraordinarinessthe quality of being extraordinary and not commonly encounteredethnicityan ethnic quality or affiliation resulting from racial or cultural tiesnativenessthe quality of belonging to or being connected with a certain place or region by virtue of birth or originoriginalitythe quality of being new and original (not derived from something else)unoriginalitythe quality of being unoriginalaccuracy(mathematics) the number of significant figures given in a numberinaccuracythe quality of being inaccurate and having errorsdistinctiona distinguishing qualitypopularitythe quality of being widely admired or accepted or sought afterunpopularitythe quality of lacking general approval or acceptancelawfulnessthe quality of conforming to lawunlawfulnessthe quality of failing to conform to lawelegancea refined quality of gracefulness and good tasteelegancea quality of neatness and ingenious simplicity in the solution of a problem (especially in science or mathematics)inelegancethe quality of lacking refinement and good tasteurbanitythe quality or character of life in a city or townexpressivenessthe quality of being expressiveincomprehensibilitythe quality of being incomprehensiblehumanenessthe quality of compassion or consideration for others (people or animals)moralityconcern with the distinction between good and evil or right and wrong; right or good conductimmoralitythe quality of not being in accord with standards of right or good conductamoralitythe quality of being amoraldivinitythe quality of being divineidealitythe quality of being idealunholinessthe quality of being unholyparental qualitya quality appropriate to a parentmundaneness, mundanity, sophistication, worldlinessthe quality or character of being intellectually sophisticated and worldly through cultivation or experience or disillusionmenthardnessa quality of water that contains dissolved mineral salts that prevent soap from latheringimpenetrability, imperviousnessthe quality of being impenetrable (by people or light or missiles etc.)soapinessthe quality of being soap or being covered with soapextremenessthe quality of being extremeworththe quality that renders something desirable or valuable or usefulconstructivenessthe quality of serving to build or improvedestructivenessthe quality of causing destructionpositiveness, positivism, positivitya quality or state characterized by certainty or acceptance or affirmation and dogmatic assertivenessnegativeness, negativism, negativitycharacterized by habitual skepticism and a disagreeable tendency to deny or oppose or resist suggestions or commandsoccidentalismthe quality or customs or mannerisms characteristic of Western civilizationsorientalismthe quality or customs or mannerisms characteristic of Asian civilizationsabilitythe quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishmentdomesticitythe quality of being domestic or domesticatedboundlessness, infiniteness, infinitude, limitlessness, unboundednessthe quality of being infinite; without bound or limitsolubilitythe quality of being soluble and easily dissolved in liquidinsolubilitythe quality of being insoluble and difficult to dissolve in liquidstuffunspecified qualities required to do or be somethinghot stuff, voluptuousnessthe quality of being attractive and exciting (especially sexually exciting)tonethe quality of something (an act or a piece of writing) that reveals the attitudes and presuppositions of the authorrelativitythe quality of being relative and having significance only in relation to something elseresponsivenessthe quality of being responsive; reacting quickly; as a quality of people, it involves responding with emotion to people and eventsdeadness, unresponsivenessthe 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 eventssubjectivismthe quality of being subjectivesnootinessthe quality of being snootyulterioritythe quality of being ulteriormemorabilitythe quality of being worth rememberingwaxinessthe quality of being made of wax or covered with waxsurrealitythe quality of being bizarre and dreamlikeadaptabilitythe ability to change (or be changed) to fit changed circumstancesunadaptabilitythe inability to change or be changed to fit changed circumstancespassport, recommendationany quality or characteristic that gains a person a favorable reception or acceptance or admissionagerasiayouthful appearance in an old personlookphysical appearanceviewoutward appearancecolor, colourthe appearance of objects (or light sources) described in terms of a person's perception of their hue and lightness (or brightness) and saturationcomplexiontexture and appearance of the skin of the facelinear perspective, perspectivethe appearance of things relative to one another as determined by their distance from the viewerphase(astronomy) the particular appearance of a body's state of illumination (especially one of the recurring shapes of the part of Earth's moon that is illuminated by the sun)vanishing pointthe appearance of a point on the horizon at which parallel lines convergesuperficiesthe purely external aspect of a thing; superficial appearanceformatthe general appearance of a publicationcolor, colour, gloss, semblance, veneeran outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleadingfacethe general outward appearance of somethinghairlessnessthe quality of not having hairbeautythe qualities that give pleasure to the sensesaffinitya natural attraction or feeling of kinshipbindingthe capacity to attract and hold somethingdrawing powerthe capacity for attracting people (customers or supporters)fascinationthe capacity to attract intense interestsexual attractionattractiveness on the basis of sexual desireuglinessqualities of appearance that do not give pleasure to the sensesblemish, defect, mara mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body)plainnessthe appearance of being plain and unpretentiousdecorativenessan appearance that serves to decorate and make something more attractiveetiolationa pale and sickly appearancevisibilitycapability of providing a clear unobstructed viewblurriness, fogginess, fuzziness, indistinctness, softnessthe quality of being indistinct and without sharp outlinesfissiparitythe tendency to break into partseffortlessnessthe quality of requiring little efforteffortfulnessthe quality of requiring deliberate effortasperity, grimness, hardship, rigor, rigorousness, rigour, rigourousness, severeness, severitysomething hard to endurecompatibilitycapability of existing or performing in harmonious or congenial combinationincompatibilitythe quality of being unable to exist or work in congenial combinationappropriatenessthe quality of being specially suitableconveniencethe quality of being useful and convenientsharpnessthe quality of being keenly and painfully feltspinnbarkeitthe capacity of a viscous liquid (especially the cervical mucus) to be drawn out into a strand or blown up into a bubbleunfitnessthe quality of not being suitableinconveniencethe quality of not being useful or convenientmystiquean aura of heightened value or interest or meaning surrounding a person or thingnotea characteristic emotional qualitypointa distinguishing or individuating characteristicsaving gracea redeeming quality or characteristicaspecta characteristic to be consideredreversibilitythe quality of being reversible in either directionshiftinessthe quality of being changeable in directionexchangeability, fungibility, interchangeability, interchangeablenessthe quality of being capable of exchange or interchangeabsolutenessthe quality of being absoluteinnatenessthe quality of being innateirreversibilitythe quality of being irreversible (once done it cannot be changed)unexchangeabilitythe quality of being incapable of exchange or interchangedistinctness, otherness, separatenessthe quality of being not alike; being distinct or different from that otherwise experienced or knownsimilaritythe quality of being similarequalitythe quality of being the same in quantity or measure or value or statusdifferentiala quality that differentiates between similar thingsdifferentiadistinguishing characteristics (especially in different species of a genus)distinctiona distinguishing differencedisagreement, discrepancy, divergence, variancea difference between conflicting facts or claims or opinionsinequalitylack of equalitycertan absolute certaintysuretysomething clearly establishedindisputability, indubitability, unquestionability, unquestionablenessthe quality of being beyond question or dispute or doubtmoral certaintycertainty based on an inner convictionpredictabilitythe quality of being predictableslam dunksomething that is a sure to occur; a foregone conclusiondoubt, doubtfulness, dubiousness, questionuncertainty about the truth or factuality or existence of somethingindefiniteness, indefinity, indeterminacy, indeterminateness, indeterminationthe quality of being vague and poorly definedunpredictabilitylacking predictabilityfortuitousnessthe quality of happening accidentally and by lucky chancespeculativenessthe quality of being a conclusion or opinion based on supposition and conjecture rather than on fact or investigationconcretenessthe quality of being concrete (not abstract)impalpability, intangibility, intangiblenessthe quality of being intangible and not perceptible by touchinsubstantialitylacking substance or realityabstractnessthe quality of being considered apart from a specific instance or objectrealitythe quality possessed by something that is realunrealitythe quality possessed by something that is unrealspecificitythe quality of being specific rather than generalspecificitythe quality of being specific to a particular organismpervasivenessthe quality of filling or spreading throughoutprevalencethe quality of prevailing generally; being widespreadtotalitythe quality of being complete and indiscriminateelaborateness, elaboration, intricacy, involutionthe quality of being marked by elaborately complex detailtapestrysomething that resembles a tapestry in its complex pictorial designstrickinessthe quality of requiring skill or cautionuniformitya condition in which everything is regular and unvaryinginhomogeneitythe quality of being inhomogeneouseven spacingregularity of spacingsteadinessthe quality of being steady--regular and unvaryingintermittence, intermittencythe quality of being intermittent; subject to interruption or periodic stoppinghaphazardness, noise, randomness, stochasticitythe quality of lacking any predictable order or planunsteadinessthe quality of being unsteady--varying and unpredictablemotilityability to move spontaneously and independentlymanipulabilitythe quality of being controllable by skilled movements of the handsrestlessnessthe quality of being ceaselessly moving or activeimmotilitylacking an ability to moveinertnessimmobility by virtue of being inertenjoyablenesspleasantness resulting from something that can be enjoyednicenessthe quality of nicedisagreeablenessthe quality of being disagreeable and unpleasantnastinessthe quality of being unpleasantconsistency(logic) an attribute of a logical system that is so constituted that none of the propositions deducible from the axioms contradict one anothercompleteness(logic) an attribute of a logical system that is so constituted that a contradiction arises if any proposition is introduced that cannot be derived from the axioms of the systemunaffectednessnot affected; a personal manner that is not consciously constrainedsimplicityabsence of affectation or pretensespontaneity, spontaneousnessthe quality of being spontaneous and coming from natural feelings without constraintunpretentiousnessthe quality of being natural and without pretensionsaffectednessthe quality of being false or artificial (as to impress others)artificialitythe quality of being produced by people and not occurring naturallylargeness, pretension, pretentiousnessthe quality of being pretentious (behaving or speaking in such a manner as to create a false appearance of great importance or worth)supernaturalism, supernaturalnessthe quality of being attributed to power that seems to violate or go beyond natural forceshealthfulnessthe quality of promoting good healthunhealthfulnessthe quality of promoting poor healthperishability, perishablenessunsatisfactoriness by virtue of being subject to decay or spoilage or destructionunacceptability, unacceptablenessunsatisfactoriness by virtue of not conforming to approved standardsexpectednessordinariness as a consequence of being expected and not surprisingcommonness, commonplaceness, everydaynessordinariness as a consequence of being frequent and commonplaceuncommonnessextraordinariness as a consequence of being rare and seldom encountereduncommonnessextraordinariness as a consequence of being marked by an uncommon or superlative qualityautochthony, endemism, indigenousnessnativeness by virtue of originating or occurring naturally (as in a particular place)orthodoxythe quality of being orthodox (especially in religion)fidelityaccuracy with which an electronic system reproduces the sound or image of its input signalloosenessa lack of strict accuracy; laxity of practiceworthinessthe quality or state of having merit or valueunworthinessthe quality or state of lacking merit or valuehot stuffthe quality of being popularlegalitylawfulness by virtue of conformity to a legal statutelegitimacylawfulness by virtue of being authorized or in accordance with lawlicitnessthe quality of strictly conforming to lawillegalityunlawfulness by virtue of violating some legal statuteinvalidity, invalidnessillogicality as a consequence of having a conclusion that does not follow from the premissesillegitimacyunlawfulness by virtue of not being authorized by or in accordance with lawillicitnessthe quality of not conforming strictly to lawshadinessof questionable honesty or legalitycourtlinesselegance suggestive of a royal courttastefulnesselegance indicated by good tastechic, chichi, chicness, last word, modishness, smartness, stylishness, swankelegance by virtue of being fashionablebrilliance, grandeur, grandness, magnificence, splendor, splendourthe quality of being magnificent or splendid or grandclasselegance in appearance or behaviorawkwardness, clumsiness, gracelessness, stiffnessthe inelegance of someone stiff and unrelaxed (as by embarrassment)manginess, seediness, shabbiness, sleazinessa lack of elegance as a consequence of wearing threadbare or dirty clothingtweedinessan informal, homely, outdoor look characteristic of those who wear tweedscoarseness, commonness, grossness, raunch, vulgarism, vulgaritythe quality of lacking taste and refinementinflation, ostentation, ostentatiousness, pomposity, pompousness, pretentiousness, puffiness, splashinesslack of elegance as a consequence of being pompous and puffed up with vanitytastelessnessinelegance indicated by a lack of good tasteintelligibilitythe quality of language that is comprehensiblepicturesquenessthe quality of being strikingly expressive or vividclarity, clearness, limpidity, lucidity, lucidness, pelluciditythe quality of being coherent and easily understoodinscrutabilitythe quality of being impossible to investigateillegibilitythe quality of writing (print or handwriting) that cannot be decipherednoiseincomprehensibility resulting from irrelevant information or meaningless facts or remarksabstruseness, obscureness, obscurity, reconditenessthe quality of being unclear or abstruse and hard to understandunintelligibilityincomprehensibility as a consequence of being unintelligibleunclearnessincomprehensibility as a result of not being clearrighteousnessthe quality of adhering to moral principlesunrighteousnessfailure to adhere to moral principleshumanitythe quality of being compassionate and kindatrociousness, atrocity, barbarity, barbarousness, heinousnessthe quality of being shockingly cruel and inhumanebestialitythe stupid brutal quality of a beastsensitiveness, sensitivitythe ability to respond to affective changes in your interpersonal environmentinsensitiveness, insensitivitythe inability to respond to affective changes in your interpersonal environmentrightnessaccording with conscience or moralityconscienceconformity to one's own sense of right conductcorruption, degeneracy, depravation, depravity, putrefactionmoral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principlescorruptibilitythe capability of being corruptedwrongnesscontrary to conscience or moralitysacrednessthe quality of being sacredsafenessthe quality of being safedangerousnessthe quality of not being safematernal quality, maternalism, maternity, motherlinessthe quality of having or showing the tenderness and warmth and affection of or befitting a motherconstancyfaithfulness and dependability in personal attachments (especially sexual fidelity)dedicationcomplete and wholehearted fidelityfaithlessness, falseness, fickleness, inconstancyunfaithfulness by virtue of being unreliable or treacherousdisloyaltythe quality of being disloyalindirectnesshaving the characteristic of lacking a true course toward a goalrobustnessthe characteristic of being strong enough to withstand intellectual challengestreaka distinctive characteristicsleeknessthe quality of being well-groomed and neatly tailoredvalence, valency(chemistry) a property of atoms or radicals; their combining power given in terms of the number of hydrogen atoms (or the equivalent)valence, valency(biology) a relative capacity to unite or react or interact as with antigens or a biological substrateamplenessthe property of being more than sufficient; comfortable sufficiencyvaluethe quality (positive or negative) that renders something desirable or valuablepraisworthinessthe property of deserving praiseworthwhilenessvalue sufficient to repay time or effort spentfecklessnessworthlessness due to being feeble and ineffectualvaluelessnesshaving none of the properties that endow something with valuepricethe high value or worth of somethingundesirabilitythe quality possessed by something that should be avoidedbettersomething superior in quality or condition or effectbetterthe superior one of two alternativesoptimummost favorable conditions or greatest degree or amount possible under given circumstancesworsesomething inferior in quality or condition or effectevilthat which causes harm or destruction or misfortunefertility, prolificacy, rankness, richnessthe property of producing abundantly and sustaining vigorous and luxuriant growthpoornessless than adequateunproductivenessthe quality of lacking the power to producehelpfulnessthe property of providing useful assistanceusea particular serviceserviceability, serviceableness, usability, usableness, useablenessthe quality of being able to provide good serviceinstrumentalitythe quality of being instrumental for some purposefutilityuselessness as a consequence of having no practical resultworthlessnessthe quality of being without practical usepracticalityconcerned with actual use rather than theoretical possibilitiesimpracticalityconcerned with theoretical possibilities rather than actual usecompetence, competencythe quality of being adequately or well qualified physically and intellectuallyresourcea source of aid or support that may be drawn upon when neededforte, long suit, metier, speciality, specialty, strength, strong point, strong suitan asset of special worth or utilityunsoundnessnot mentally or physically healthyliabilitythe quality of being something that holds you backinadvisabilitythe quality of being ill-advisedpoisonanything that harms or destroyspreponderancesuperiority in power or influencepuissancepower to influence or coercepersuasiveness, strengththe power to induce the taking of a course of action or the embracing of a point of view by means of argument or entreatyinterest, interestingnessthe power of attracting or holding one's attention (because it is unusual or exciting etc.)swaycontrolling influenceinfluencea power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etccontrolpower to direct or determinedisposalthe power to use something or someonevetothe power or right to prohibit or reject a proposed or intended act (especially the power of a chief executive to reject a bill passed by the legislature)effectiveness, effectivity, effectuality, effectualnesspower to be effective; the quality of being able to bring about an effectforman ability to perform wellinteroperability(computer science) the ability to exchange and use information (usually in a large heterogeneous network made up of several local area networks)Midas touchan ability to make and manage large amounts of moneypenetrationthe ability to make way into or through somethingphysical abilitythe ability to perform some physical act; contrasting with mental abilitycontractilitythe capability or quality of shrinking or contracting, especially by muscle fibers and even some other forms of living matterunpersuasivenessinability to persuadeuninterestingnessinability to capture or hold one's interestvoicelessnesshaving no voice in the management or control of affairspaper tigerthe nature of a person or organization that appears powerful but is actually powerless and ineffectualincapability, incapablenessthe quality of not being capable -- physically or intellectually or legallystardusta dreamy romantic or sentimental qualityratabilitythe quality of being capable of being rated or estimatedscalabilitythe quality of being scalablecomicalitythe quality of being comicalresistancethe degree of unresponsiveness of a disease-causing microorganism to antibiotics or other drugs (as in penicillin-resistant bacteria)totipotence, totipotencythe ability of a cell to give rise to unlike cells and so to develop a new organism or partimmunocompetencethe ability to develop an immune response following exposure to an antigeninsufficiency(pathology) inability of a bodily part or organ to function normallyglitteran exciting but superficial attractivenesstype of:attributean abstraction belonging to or characteristic of an entity
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a characteristic property that defines the apparent individual nature of something
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(music) the distinctive property of a complex sound (a voice or noise or musical sound)types:harmonicany of a series of musical tones whose frequencies are integral multiples of the frequency of a fundamentalresonancethe quality imparted to voiced speech sounds by the action of the resonating chambers of the throat and mouth and nasal cavitiesnasalitya quality of the voice that is produced by nasal resonatorsplangency, resonance, reverberance, ringing, sonority, sonorousness, vibrancyhaving the character of a loud deep sound; the quality of being resonantregister(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 instrumentshead register, head tone, head voicethe higher ranges of the voice in speaking or singing; the vibrations of sung notes are felt in the headtype of:sound propertyan attribute of sound
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a degree or grade of excellence or worth“the quality of students has risen”types:first classthe highest rank in a classificationfirst waterthe highest quality gemspoornessthe quality of being poorly made or maintainedsecond classnot the highest quality in a classificationwretchednessthe quality of being poor and inferior and sorry
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high social status
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of superior grade
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of high social status“people of quality”“a quality family”synonyms:upper-classoccupying the highest socioeconomic position in a society
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Vocabulary lists containing quality
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)
In 1951, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) recruited 13 parents to file a class action suit on behalf of their children. The named plaintiff, Oliver Brown, was the father of a third grader who, denied admission to a neighborhood school because of his race, was forced to walk six blocks to take a bus to a black school. On reviewing the District Court's ruling based on the precedent of Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court decided that segregated public schools were unequal and unconstitutional. This led to the Civil Rights Act of 1957. These words are from the unanimous opinion written by Earl Warren. Read the full text here.
Word Generation Social Studies - Ancient Civilizations of Egypt, Greece, Rome
Word Generation Social Studies is a program combining vocabulary with a multidisciplinary discussion of various social studies topics. Here are links to the word lists for Word Generation Social Studies: Ancient Civilizations of Egypt, Greece, Rome, Experiences of Two Children in Warn-torn Sudan, Complex Questions Related to American Democracy.
Scrabble: Words that Begin with Q
Quentin quietly questioned Quinn's quirky quinoa quiche. Luckily, you don't have to question how to take advantage of the 10-point Q tile in Scrabble. You just need to study up on this quintessential list of Q words. Check out our other lists in the collection: High Scoring Words Two-Letter Words Four-Letter Words with 3 Vowels Words with 5 Vowels Words with no Vowels Words that Start with Q Words with Q without U Words that Start with X Palindromes