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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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
-
According to Damien Routely, these include messy ownership of decisions and no reliable view of cash or delivery cadence, which indicate a weak and unclear leadership structure; the inability to properly articulate what the business actually is, and a refusal to listen and assimilate feedback.—
Alison Coleman,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Those Olympics were mentally draining enough for athletes, given their limited mobility in a COVID bubble, fears of testing positive and missing competitions, and inability to soak up the experience with fans and friends.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Especially Gina, who honestly was just minding her business, hanging out with her boyfriend’s daughter, and winds up getting accused of incompetence by her own boyfriend.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
23 Jan. 2026
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Trump’s malice and incompetence alienates voters, who then publicly voice their discontent, encouraging other political actors and institutions to see him not as a crusading avatar of national destiny but as a weakened figure.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incompetency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incompetency. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
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