What is quality?
Quality refers to how good something is compared to other similar things. In other words, its degree of excellence. When used to describe people, it refers to a distinctive characteristic or attributes that they possess. In this sense, we can also use the term for things. If I think that Mary’s best attribute is her honesty, I can say “Mary’s best quality is her honesty.”
When we refer to ‘people of quality we usually mean people of high social standing. However, the term, with this meaning, is less common today than in the past.
In business, especially manufacturing, it is a measure of excellence. In this context, it can also refer to a state of being defect-free.
The ISO 8402-1986 standard defines quality as:
“The totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs.”
ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization, an international standard-setting body. ISO consists of representatives from several national standards organizations.
The term contrasts with the word ‘quantity.’ When somebody says ‘how much,’ we think about quantity. If they say ‘how good,’ on the other hand, we think about quality.
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