competent

adjective

com·​pe·​tent ˈkäm-pə-tənt How to pronounce competent (audio)
1
: proper or rightly pertinent
2
: having requisite or adequate ability or qualities : fit
a competent teacher
a competent piece of work
3
: legally qualified or adequate
a competent witness
4
: having the capacity to function or develop in a particular way: such as
a
: having the capacity to initiate an immune response following exposure to an antigen
antibody production by immunologically competent B cells
b
of a bacterial cell : capable of taking up exogenous DNA (as from a plasmid) during genetic transformation
natural and artificially-produced competent cells
competently adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for competent

sufficient, enough, adequate, competent mean being what is necessary or desirable.

sufficient suggests a close meeting of a need.

sufficient savings

enough is less exact in suggestion than sufficient.

do you have enough food?

adequate may imply barely meeting a requirement.

the service was adequate

competent suggests measuring up to all requirements without question or being adequately adapted to an end.

had no competent notion of what was going on

Examples of competent in a Sentence

… he was tolerated, if not endorsed as the competent painter he was. Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, 2005
The crafting of fine violins has proceeded for centuries as a secret art, handed down through apprenticeships from generation to generation. It takes 8 years, at least, to train a competent craftsman, decades to hone a master. Richard Lipkin, Science News, 3 Sept. 1994
"Resort cities're transient places," the detective argued. " … That doesn't mean the police aren't competent." Joseph Wambaugh, The Secrets of Harry Bright, 1985
… I discovered that Lieutenant Lincoln—a much-admired man hereabouts, and, I imagine, an exceedingly competent physician—was from Worcester … Alexander Woollcott, letter, 2 Oct. 1917
The defendant was declared competent to stand trial. any competent mechanic should be able to fix that
Recent Examples on the Web Last July, Wood County Circuit Judge Todd Wolf found Maier competent to stand trial after a psychological evaluation. Vanessa Swales, Journal Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2024 Someone with some intellectual honesty and a competent lawyer should run at that sometime. Nilay Patel, The Verge, 1 Mar. 2024 The sole exception is Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson), a lonely and competent police officer who warms quickly to Tascioni and appreciates her talents. Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 Among the center’s other work: Researchers led Solano County’s behavioral health team in working with Latino, Filipino and LGBTQ+ communities to find culturally competent strategies to boost the use of mental health services. Cathie Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024 Here are a few thoughts based on what regulators have been saying and doing: • Staff Wisely: Hire capable, competent people to evaluate and monitor third parties. Paul Davis, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 McIntosh remains competent in this thankless role, despite uneven writing and several truly terrible haircuts. Jessica Liese, Variety, 14 Feb. 2024 Birth of a Corporate Culture Slowly and steadily, Watson was creating a new corporate culture of ethics, paired with competent sales, solid technology, and a growing international perspective. IEEE Spectrum, 13 Feb. 2024 Their stringent hiring process and extensive training ensure that all guards are highly competent. Kyle Russell, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'competent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, suitable, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin competent-, competens, from present participle of competere — see compete

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of competent was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near competent

Cite this Entry

“Competent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/competent. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

competent

adjective
com·​pe·​tent ˈkäm-pət-ənt How to pronounce competent (audio)
: having the necessary ability or qualities : capable
a competent musician
competently adverb

Medical Definition

competent

adjective
com·​pe·​tent ˈkäm-pət-ənt How to pronounce competent (audio)
: having the capacity to function or develop in a particular way
specifically : having the capacity to respond (as by producing an antibody) to an antigenic determinant
immunologically competent cells

Legal Definition

competent

adjective
com·​pe·​tent ˈkäm-pə-tənt How to pronounce competent (audio)
1
: having or showing requisite or adequate ability or qualities
a competent lawyer
competent representation by counsel
2
a
: free from addiction or mental defect that renders one incapable of taking care of oneself or one's property
b
: capable of understanding one's position as a criminal defendant and the nature of the criminal proceedings and able to participate in one's defense compare capacity, incompetent, insanity
3
: legally qualified or adequate: as
a
: having the necessary power or authority
a judge of competent jurisdictionU.S. Code
b
: qualified for presentation in court : admissible as evidence or capable of giving admissible evidence
a competent witness
c
: intelligent
a competent waiver

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