Main Entry: com·pe·tence

Pronunciation: \ˈkäm-pə-tən(t)s\

Function: noun

Date: 1605

1 : a sufficiency of means for the necessities and conveniences of life <provided his family with a comfortable competence — Rex Ingamells>
2 : the quality or state of being competent: as a : the properties of an embryonic field that enable it to respond in a characteristic manner to an organizer b : readiness of bacteria to undergo genetic transformation
3 : the knowledge that enables a person to speak and understand a language — compare performance 6