Dictionary
qual•i•ty
Pronunciation: (kwol'i-tē), [key]
—n., pl. -ties,
—adj.
—
n.
1. an essential or distinctive characteristic, property, or attribute:
the chemical qualities of alcohol.
2. character or nature, as belonging to or distinguishing a thing:
the quality of a sound.
3. character with respect to fineness, or grade of excellence:
food of poor quality; silks of fine quality.
4. high grade; superiority; excellence:
wood grain of quality.
5. a personality or character trait:
kindness is one of her many good qualities.
6. native excellence or superiority.
7. an accomplishment or attainment.
8. good or high social position:
a man of quality.
9. the superiority or distinction associated with high social position.
10. Acoustics.the texture of a tone, dependent on its overtone content, that distinguishes it from others of the same pitch and loudness.
11. Phonet.the tonal color, or timbre, that characterizes a particular vowel sound.
12. Logic.the character of a proposition as affirmative or negative.
13. Thermodynam.the proportion or percentage of vapor in a mixture of liquid and vapor, as wet steam.
14. social status or position.
15. a person of high social position:
He's quality, that one is.
—
adj.
1. of or having superior quality:
quality paper.
2. producing or providing products or services of high quality or merit:
a quality publisher.
3. of or occupying high social status:
a quality family.
4. marked by a concentrated expenditure of involvement, concern, or commitment:
Counselors are urging that working parents try to spend more quality time with their children. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
