incompetent

adjective

in·com·pe·tent | \ (ˌ)in-ˈkäm-pə-tənt

Definition of incompetent

1 : not legally qualified

2 : inadequate to or unsuitable for a particular purpose

3a : lacking the qualities needed for effective action

b : unable to function properly incompetent heart valves

Other Words from incompetent Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about incompetent

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Examples of incompetent in a Sentence

He is too incompetent to be trusted with such an important responsibility. The patient is mentally incompetent. The defendant was declared incompetent to stand trial.

Recent Examples on the Web

The state hospital was full by October 2018 as the number of defendants found incompetent to stand trial soared. — oregonlive, "Advocates seek long-term state plan to treat defendants with mental illness," 14 Sep. 2019 Mitchell was found incompetent to stand trial and ordered to undergo outpatient treatment in June, according to court documents. — Madeline Mitchell, Cincinnati.com, "Police: Four women arrested after using work-issued police radio to assist armed robbery," 13 Sep. 2019 The charges in that case were dismissed after a judge found Madden incompetent to stand trial, the station reported. — Fox News, "Man raped 8-year-old girl after hitting her in head with shovel, fracturing her skull: police," 11 Aug. 2019 While one doctor found Cowell incompetent to stand trial, a second was unable to reach a conclusion. — Megan Cassidy, SFChronicle.com, "Doctor finds Nia Wilson’s alleged killer at BART station fit to stand trial," 17 July 2019 The man accused of killing 83-year-old Ruby Steplight last year inside her southwest Orange County home was declared incompetent to proceed with his murder trial, court records show. — Tess Sheets, orlandosentinel.com, "Man accused of killing 83-year-old woman ruled incompetent to stand trial, records show," 2 Sep. 2019 To suggest Disney is infallible while Sony is incompetent is a level of corporate investment that feels gross. — Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, "How 'Spider-Man' Divorce Shows Ugly Side of Fandom," 22 Aug. 2019 No one wants to come off as incompetent or inexperienced to their boss or coworkers, but a big part of advancing in your career is learning new things and not being afraid to seek out help. — Kathryn Vasel, CNN, "How to look like you know what you're doing at work even when you don't," 15 Aug. 2019 If so, how is the great danger (an incompetent or radically unstable president) to be handled? — Lance Morrow, WSJ, "Trump, Mrs. Wilson and That ‘Senior Official’," 6 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'incompetent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.