Synonyms of competence

competence

noun

ˈkäm-pə-tən(t)s 

as in ability

the physical or mental power to do something

questioned his competence to finish the task without help

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ability
• capacity
• capability
• competency
• aptitude
• talent
• faculty
• skill
• capableness
• reason
• equipment
• instinct
• knack
• gift
• facility
• prowess
• understanding
• intelligence
• dexterity
• resourcefulness
• endowment
• usefulness
• address
• influence
• resources
• adequacy
• effectiveness
• potency
• aptness
• fitness
• gray matter
• adroitness
• deftness
• means
• might
• staying power
• ken
• hand
• stuff
• wherewithal
• puissance
• effectualness
• form

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• incompetence
• disability
• incompetency
• incapacity
• inability
• ineptitude
• ineptness
• incapability
• paralysis
• weakness
• helplessness
• impotence
• deficiency
• powerlessness
• inadequacy
• ineffectiveness
• impairment
• defectiveness
• uselessness
• inefficacy
• ineffectuality
• incapableness
• incapacitation
• ineffectualness
• disablement
• debilitation
• inadequateness
• inefficaciousness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of competence

And because cognition is so closely tied to a person’s sense of competence and identity, those changes can be surprisingly frightening. — Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 19 Aug. 2026

Notice where competence has quietly become obligation and where resentment is stirring. — Tracy Kennedy, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Yet the aura of competence alone may carry Florida fans well into this fall. — Noah White, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026

The tough, steely competence of Anne Hathaway—the sense that her characters could shoulder the weight of the world, without complaint and on short notice—has been one of the more welcome recurring spectacles of this moviegoing year. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026