prequalify

P3R1E1Q10U1A1L1I1F4Y4

verb

To qualify or be qualified in advance.

OriginEnglish qualify ← Middle English pre- ← Latin prae- →
UncommonScrabble 27
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Meanings

verbprequalify (third-person singular simple present prequalifies, present participle prequalifying, simple past and past participle prequalified)

present singular third person prequalifies · participle present prequalifying · participle past prequalified · past prequalified

  1. ambitransitiveTo qualify or be qualified in advance.

    Applicants receive debt and mortgage counseling, and are prequalified for mortgages.

    2009 January 18, Marcelle S. Fischler, “A Windfall for (Some) Buyers”, in New York Times

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*preh₂-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*préh₂i?
  4. Proto-Italic*prai
  5. Proto-Italic*prai-
  6. Latinprae-
  7. Middle Englishpre-
  8. Englishpre-
  9. Englishqualify
  10. Englishprequalify

From pre- + qualify.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

prequalify. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prequalify

MLA

“prequalify.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prequalify. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “prequalify,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prequalify.

Source: prequalify on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.