Added 2 October 2026
quality
/ˈkwɒlɪti/ noun
In Latin: prōprietās Coined: a coined word Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about quality at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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The kind, condition, and/or the set of characteristics of something, as opposed to the quantity of something.
The lattice structure of a steel profoundly changes its qualities.
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A single trait.
While being impulsive can be great for artists, it is not a desirable quality for engineers.
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Good characteristics in particular; level of excellence; freedom of faults and flaws.
This school is well-known for having teachers of high quality.
Origin
From Middle English qualite, from Old French qualité, from Latin quālitās, quālitātem, from quālis (“of what kind”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷo- (“who, how”). Cicero coined qualitas as a calque to translate the Ancient Greek word ποιότης (poiótēs, “quality”), coined by Plato from ποῖος (poîos, “of what nature, of what kind”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)