Quality Means Both a Characteristic and a Standard
Quality is how good something is, and also any characteristic it has. The two senses sit side by side and rarely collide.
Quality means the standard of something measured against others, and also simply a characteristic. A material has the quality of hardness, which is neutral; a product is of high quality, which is a judgement. The Latin *qualitas* was coined by Cicero to translate a Greek word for what kind a thing is.
- The standard of something. *Build quality.*
- A characteristic. *The quality of mercy.*
- High standard. *A quality product.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | quality | Poor quality. |
| Plural | qualities | Personal qualities. |
| Adjective | quality | Quality control. |
| Adjective | qualitative | Qualitative research. |
| Opposite | quantity | Quantity over quality. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The quality has fallen since the takeover.Standard.
- He has many admirable qualities.Characteristics.
- Qualitative research looks for meaning, not counts.Method.
Quality management terms
- Quality control — checking output against a standard
- Quality assurance — designing the process so faults do not arise
- Specification — the written definition of required quality
- Tolerance — the allowed variation
- Defect rate — the proportion failing to meet the standard
From Latin *qualitas*, coined by Cicero from *qualis*, of what kind, to translate the Greek *poiotes*. It is one of the oldest deliberate translations in European vocabulary.
Quality control or quality assurance?
Control checks the product afterwards. Assurance builds the process so that defects are prevented.
Qualitative or quantitative?
Qualitative deals with descriptions and meanings; quantitative deals with numbers and measurement.