COMPETENCY Synonyms: 71 Similar and Opposite Words

competency

noun

ˈkäm-pə-tən(t)-sē

Definition of competency

as in ability

the physical or mental power to do something she's proved that she has the competency to run a major company

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of competency Despite the findings of that evaluation, however, the decision to commit Ross Wardlaw for behavioral health treatment in an attempt to restore his competency for his murder trial hasn’t been decided. — Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 25 Aug. 2026 Gemma and Richard are composites drawn from our several decades of advising organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to smaller nonprofits on designing interview processes that assess leadership and interpersonal competencies. — Harvard Business Review, 24 Aug. 2026 All four entered not guilty pleas to the initial charges and are seeking mental competency evaluations. — Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026 Experts advocate for a radical redesign, urging boards to prioritize genuine governance competencies and continuous impact measurement, moving away from outdated models that hinder vital community services. — Aparna Rae, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for competency

Recent Examples of Synonyms for competency

Noun

Before Atlanta, the girls weren’t judged as heavily based on their reads or confessional assassin abilities.

— Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026
Josh Jacobs’ future with the team is murky, and his ability to break tackles has been integral to the running game.

— Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of ability

Noun

Talent flight across many ASEAN economies prevents them from developing the technocratic capacity needed for advanced technology and energy sectors.

— Brian Wong, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026
The festival, with a capacity of 80,000 people, also was hit with mud and rain in 2023 as many attendees were trapped on its grounds, where vehicle traffic was temporarily limited and some hiked in the mud to nearby towns.

— Dennis Romero, NBC news, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of capacity

Noun

Steve Russell, vice president and general manager of Edison Works at GE Aerospace, said accelerating this type of testing is important for developing next-gen capabilities.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
Its powerful jumpstarting capabilities can revive vehicles with gas engines up to 6 liters and diesel engines up to 4 liters.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of capability

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competencies

competency

competent

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“Competency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/competency. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of competency

noun

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