Meaning & use
eligibility
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Meaning
noununcountableformal
The state of meeting the conditions needed to take part in something or to receive a benefit.
Grammar: Uncountable, often followed by for: eligibility for a grant.
Patterns
- eligibility for something
- eligibility to do something
Check your eligibility for the scholarship before you apply.
Eligibility to vote depends on your age and residency.
The form asks several questions about eligibility.
Common combinations
- determine eligibility
- The office will determine your eligibility within a week.
- meet the eligibility criteria
- Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria.
- proof of eligibility
- Bring proof of eligibility to the interview.
- eligibility requirements
- The eligibility requirements are listed online.
- lose eligibility
- A player can lose eligibility if grades drop.
Synonyms and how they differ
- qualification
- Qualification can mean a skill or certificate, while eligibility is about meeting rules.
- entitlement
- Entitlement means you have a right to something, whereas eligibility only means you may apply.
- suitability
- Suitability concerns being right for a purpose, not a formal rule.
- fitness
- Fitness refers to being appropriate or healthy and is less tied to official criteria.
Opposites
Word family
- eligible adjective
- allowed or qualified to do or receive something
- ineligible adjective
- not allowed or qualified
- eligibly adverb
- in a way that qualifies
- ineligibility noun
- the state of not qualifying
Commonly confused: eligibility or legibility? eligibility or illegible?
eligibility vs legibility
Legibility is how clear handwriting or print is to read; eligibility is about meeting conditions.
eligibility vs illegible
Illegible means unreadable; it is not related to eligibility.
Practice
To check your ___ for the student discount, upload a copy of your ID.
Choose one answer.
Eligibility means meeting the conditions for a benefit. Legibility is about clear reading, so it does not fit a discount check.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “eligibility”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.