as in inability
the lack of sufficient ability, power, or means
the incompetency of the secretary was revealed only after she had left the company, and her successor discovered years of filing left undone
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of incompetency
Maybe that data suggests incompetency in the sporting director role.
—
Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
The National Geographic series dives into footage and narratives from officials leading the disaster response at the time, revealing incompetencies and false information from the media that cost locals their lives.
—Sam Gillette, People.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Portalatin’s petition seeks to remove Wilder and Saenz using a statute in the Texas Local Government Code that allows for citizens to seek public officials’ removal due to incompetency, official misconduct or drunkenness both on and off duty.
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Aug. 2025
If Black and Middlebrooks plan to make that challenge, their lawyers must file petitions alleging incompetency between May 27-29 for Black and between July 7-9 for Middlebrooks.
—Evan Mealins, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incompetency
Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
The National Geographic series dives into footage and narratives from officials leading the disaster response at the time, revealing incompetencies and false information from the media that cost locals their lives.
—Sam Gillette, People.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Portalatin’s petition seeks to remove Wilder and Saenz using a statute in the Texas Local Government Code that allows for citizens to seek public officials’ removal due to incompetency, official misconduct or drunkenness both on and off duty.
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Aug. 2025
If Black and Middlebrooks plan to make that challenge, their lawyers must file petitions alleging incompetency between May 27-29 for Black and between July 7-9 for Middlebrooks.
—Evan Mealins, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incompetency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incompetency
Noun
-
Unsurprisingly, Tigers athletic director Verge Ausberry had his new head coach's back while trashing former coach Brian Kelly and his inability to relate to boosters or fans during his time in Baton Rouge.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
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Andrews’s essay comes to the defense of former Harvard President Larry Summers, who resigned under pressure in 2006 after arguing that women might be underrepresented in the hard sciences because of their innate lack of interest in those fields and their inability to perform at the highest levels.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Workers resisted him with false reports of incompetence, machine sabotage, and especially social pressure—something that worked on new recruits but not on Taylor himself.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
-
During Walker’s oral exams, Stoner exposes his incompetence.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incompetency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incompetency. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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