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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 incompetency
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
When pressed on such timelines during a Senate hearing in December 2024, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf reiterated the issue isn’t a matter of corruption or incompetency, but federal support.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Jan. 2025
It's been a revolving door of incompetency under center for the Browns this year.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025
Brown signed an incompetency finding last Wednesday.
—Skye Seipp, Austin American-Statesman, 5 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for incompetency
Evan Mealins, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Mar. 2025
When pressed on such timelines during a Senate hearing in December 2024, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf reiterated the issue isn’t a matter of corruption or incompetency, but federal support.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Jan. 2025
It's been a revolving door of incompetency under center for the Browns this year.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025
Brown signed an incompetency finding last Wednesday.
—Skye Seipp, Austin American-Statesman, 5 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for incompetency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incompetency
Noun
-
Conventional approaches, such as visual serving and force control, often struggle to achieve reliable performance due to their inability to simultaneously address positional and force-related uncertainties.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
-
The victim told police that Ising had constantly harassed him at work for two years, sitting next to him during meals and joking about his inability to eat many foods because of his medical condition.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The agents at Slough House are renowned for the incompetence that landed them there, but there have been, of course, plenty of times when their instincts are sound, their actions are noble, and they’re wildly underestimated, just like their flatulent boss.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
15 Oct. 2025
-
That was straight Nathaniel Hackett level incompetence.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
12 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Incompetency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incompetency. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share