quality

plural qualities

1. countableThe 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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   Tuc[ca]. […] Can thy Author doe it impudently enough? / Hiſt[rio]. O, I warrant you, Captaine: and ſpitefully inough too; he ha's one of the moſt ouerflowing villanous wits, in Rome. He will ſlander any man that breathes; If he diſguſt him. / Tucca. I'le know the poor, egregious, nitty Raſcall; and he haue ſuch commendable Qualities, I'le cheriſh him: […]

   1601, Ben Jonson, Poetaster or The Arraignment: […], London: […] [R. Bradock] for M[atthew] L[ownes] […], published 1602, →OCLC, Act III

   “That's life,” she said, and buzzed off to keep her vigil, leaving me kicking myself because I'd forgotten to say anything about the quality of mercy not being strained. It isn't, as I dare say you know, and a mention of this might just have done the trick.

   1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter XX, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC

   Something about his bearing was uncommitted, as though he were checking not for some bad quality he knew Feldman had, but for some good quality he was afraid he might have.

   2010, Stanley Elkin, A Bad Man

2. countableA single trait.

   Security, stability, and efficiency are good qualities of an operating system.

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   While being impulsive can be great for artists, it is not a desirable quality for engineers.

3. uncountableGood characteristics in particular; level of excellence; freedom of faults and flaws.

   This school is well-known for having teachers of high quality.

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   Quality of life is usually determined by health, education, and income.

   “I'll tell you what you're going to do. Have you a clean shirt?” “Several.” “And a toothbrush?” “Two, both of the finest quality.” “Then pack them. You're coming to Brinkley tomorrow.”

   1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter I, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC

   He called for China’s cooperation in efforts to improve air quality.

   2019, VOA Learning English (public domain)

   Synonyms: duty

4. attributivecountableuncountableoccasionally proscribedGood worth, good make.

   We had some quality time yesterday!

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   For this building project we need to use quality materials that will last for many decades.

   That was a quality game by Jim Smith.

   A quality system ensures products meet customer requirements.

   A model for discriminating women! A "quality" coat in every sense!

   1930, Stella Blum, Everyday Fashion of the Thirties as pictured in Sears Catalogs, published 1986, page 4

   I mean a lot of the money that obviously goes into universities and their libraries and their facilities and their academics and stuff but I mean I haven’t had a very quality degree to be honest. I think the quality of my education has been crap . . .

   a. 2003, John Ahier, John Beck, Rob Moore, quoting Harriet (a Cambridge University student), Graduate Citizens?: Issues of Citizenship and Higher Education, Routledge, published 2003, →ISBN, page 114

5. archaiccountableuncountablePosition; status; rank.

   The firſt Solemn Embaſſy that the French King ſent to the late King of SIAM, was in the Year 1685, by Monſieur de Chaumont, who went in Quality of Ambaſſador Extraordinary […]

   1690, “The Preface to the Reader”, in A Full and True Relation of the Great and Wonderful Revolution That Hapned Lately in the Kingdom of Siam in the East-Indies, London: Randal Taylor, page i

6. archaiccountableuncountableHigh social position. (See also the quality.)

   A peasant is not allowed to fall in love with a lady of quality.

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   Membership of this golf club is limited to those of quality and wealth.

7. countableuncountablenatural sciencesIn a two-phase liquid–vapor mixture, the ratio of the mass of vapor present to the total mass of the mixture.
8. countableemergency medicineThe third step in OPQRST where the responder investigates what the NOI/MOI feels like.

   To identify quality try asking, "what does it feel like?".

9. UKcountablejournalismA newspaper with relatively serious, high-quality content.

   It is argued that in the last ten years or so, quality broadsheet newspapers have become more like the tabloids. Anthony Sampson has argued that 'the frontier between the qualities and popular papers has virtually disappeared'.

   1998, Bill Coxall, Lynton Robins, Robert Leach, Contemporary British Politics, page 164