Removed from a competition or from being eligible for something because you broke a rule or don't meet the requirements.
From 'dis-' (opposite/not) plus 'qualify' (from Latin 'qualis,' meaning of what kind). The term became common in sports contexts in the 19th century.
In Olympic history, athletes have been disqualified for tiny infractions—like being 0.001 seconds too fast off the starting block—which shows how rules exist to make competition fair, not just to punish people.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.