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Is there a word that would mean "disqualifier" if "disqualifier" were a word?

Alternatively, let's say someone presents a list of qualifiers

  1. x
  2. y
  3. z

and says you do not qualify if any of them apply to you. I would call these "disqualifiers" but apparently that is not actually a word. What is the right name for them?

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The government, while not the model of intelligence, uses disqualifier on many official documents. –  Jarin Dec 4 '13 at 16:48
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5 Answers

up vote 4 down vote accepted

I'd stick with disqualifier, as its meaning quite obvious in context. And there are several dictionaries that list it, including MSN Encarta and Dictionary.com.

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The following words may be used:

  1. rejection (as in rejection criteria)
  2. elimination
  3. recusal (used in judicial parlance)
  4. debarment - a rather strong use, implying disqualification from future attempts
  5. preclusion - used from the perspective of the candidate

All in all, disqualifier is the best word as it is context-free.

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The words you list are qualifiers that don't apply to you.

Disqualifier is not a word I find in the NOAD; the closer word I can find is disqualify (the verb), which means "to declare someone not eligible for an office or activity", and it cannot be used in the sense you would use it.

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Impediment would be used in a legal context, but in everyday terms has the looser sense of hindrance rather than disqualifier.

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In your context, the word you really mean could be 'exception'. Rather than use a double negative of first stating what qualifies and then using its absence as the criterion, it is better to list the 'exceptions', at least for the sake of clarity.

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