Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective competent contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of competent are adequate, enough, and sufficient. While all these words mean "being what is necessary or desirable," 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

When could adequate be used to replace competent?

The words adequate and competent can be used in similar contexts, but adequate may imply barely meeting a requirement.

the service was adequate

How are the words enough and sufficient related as synonyms of competent?

Enough is less exact in suggestion than sufficient.

do you have enough food?

When is sufficient a more appropriate choice than competent?

The meanings of sufficient and competent largely overlap; however, sufficient suggests a close meeting of a need.

sufficient savings

Example Sentences

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 competent Mallett knew a need existed for a culturally competent space for people to learn and purchase herbs and teas. La Risa R. Lynch, jsonline.com, 8 Sep. 2025 The data suggests caregivers want to be competent and confident, not necessarily rescued from their role. Sophie Okolo, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025 But not on road against competent teams. Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025 The defense once again lost some studs to the NFL this offseason, but the addition of Underwood at QB should make the offense competent, at the very least. Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for competent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for competent
Adjective
  • The tax break allows qualified taxpayers to deduct up to $25,000 in tips a year from their tax bills.
    Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
  • It may be treated as a qualified dividend eligible for a lower tax rate but must pass certain hurdles.
    Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Today, as the world's justified horror at the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza grows, that work has taken on new urgency.
    Andrew Weinstein, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Instead, the miniseries — adapted from Michelle Frances’ novel by Naomi Sheldon and Gabbie Asher — makes clear relatively early that even if both women are at fault, one of them is far more justified than the other in her level of mistrust.
    Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Scientists revealed that the 1200-volt, 400-amp power module is suitable for use in power grids and even heavy-duty vehicles such as next-generation aircraft and military vehicles.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Nonfunctional Gadgets and Tech Outdated gadgets are rarely suitable for donation.
    Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Yungblud has certainly been getting a lot of deserved attention as of late, particularly from the hard rock and metal crowds as a result of his tributes to Ozzy Osbourne.
    Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • However, the excitement in Green Bay is real and deserved.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Jupiter, based at Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany, is one of the fastest in the world, capable of performing 1 quintillion calculations per second.
    Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The upshot is that disk images should be capable of better performance in Tahoe, which will especially benefit virtual machines that rely on disk images.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Paxton’s legal problems include criminal charges related to securities fraud in 2015.
    Kimberly Ross, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • As the exclusive bargaining representative of NBA players, the NBPA licenses agents and thereby gives them the legal right to represent players in contract negotiations.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • After the 1-0 win, Bright spoke to the media about being ‘proper English’.
    Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
  • The proper name for the show is IAA Mobility 2025, short for Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung.
    Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Competent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/competent. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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