disqualify

verb

dis·​qual·​i·​fy (ˌ)dis-ˈkwä-lə-ˌfī How to pronounce disqualify (audio)
disqualified; disqualifying; disqualifies

transitive verb

1
: to deprive of the required qualities, properties, or conditions : make unfit
2
: to deprive of a power, right, or privilege
3
: to make ineligible for a prize or for further competition because of violations of the rules

Examples of disqualify in a Sentence

His poor eyesight disqualified him from becoming a pilot.
Recent Examples on the Web The challenge to Griffin had been a test run for Trump opponents who successfully argued to the Colorado Supreme Court last year that Trump is disqualified from the presidency by that same Civil War-era provision. USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024 That could mean Fong gets disqualified from the race, so there’s still uncertainty here. Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 18 Mar. 2024 Fani Willis, ruling that she would not be disqualified from leading the Georgia election interference case against former President Trump — as long as her lead prosecutor and former romantic partner, Nathan Wade, stepped down from the case. Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Still, the bid to disqualify Willis and the Fulton County District Attorney's Office from the case set off a series of fiery proceedings before McAfee last month. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2024 Knowledge of the shooting and the criminal cases that followed did not disqualify jurors from the prospective pool. Lauren Del Valle, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024 Paulino says numerous white applicants were qualified for the position but were disqualified. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 See All the Drama from Thursday's Women's Figure Skating Final in Photos On Jan. 29, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled to disqualify Valieva for four years for violating anti-doping rules starting on Dec. 25, 2021. Lawrence Yee, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 Earlier this week, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump could not be disqualified as a candidate from state ballots. Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disqualify.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1701, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of disqualify was in 1701

Dictionary Entries Near disqualify

Cite this Entry

“Disqualify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disqualify. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

disqualify

verb
dis·​qual·​i·​fy (ˈ)dis-ˈkwäl-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce disqualify (audio)
disqualified; disqualifying
: to make or declare unfit or not qualified

Legal Definition

disqualify

transitive verb
dis·​qual·​i·​fy dis-ˈkwä-lə-ˌfī How to pronounce disqualify (audio)
disqualified; disqualifying
1
: to deprive of the required qualities, properties, or conditions
a financial interest in the case that disqualified the judge
2
: to deprive of a right or privilege especially after a hearing
misconduct that disqualified the employee from receiving unemployment benefits

More from Merriam-Webster on disqualify

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