competence

[ kom-pi-tuhns ]

noun

1. the quality of being competent; adequacy; possession of required skill, knowledge, qualification, or capacity:

   He hired her because of her competence as an accountant.

2. an income sufficient to furnish the necessities and modest comforts of life.
3. sufficiency; a sufficient quantity.
4. Law. (of a witness, a party to a contract, etc.) legal capacity or qualification based on the meeting of certain minimum requirements of age, soundness of mind, citizenship, or the like.
5. Embryology. the sum total of possible developmental responses of any group of blastemic cells under varied external conditions.
6. Linguistics. the implicit, internalized knowledge of a language that a speaker possesses and that enables the speaker to produce and understand the language. Compare performance ( def 8 ).
7. Immunology. immunocompetence.
8. Geology. the ability of a fluid medium, as a stream or the wind, to move and carry particulate matter, measured by the size or weight of the largest particle that can be transported.

competence

/ ˈkɒmpɪtəns /

noun

1. the condition of being capable; ability
2. a sufficient income to live on
3. the state of being legally competent or qualified
4. embryol the ability of embryonic tissues to react to external conditions in a way that influences subsequent development
5. linguistics (in transformational grammar) the form of the human language faculty, independent of its psychological embodiment in actual human beings Compare performance langue parole

competence

/ kŏm′pĭ-təns /

1. The ability of bacteria to be undergo genetic transformation .
2. The ability to respond immunologically to an antigen, as in an immune cell responding to a virus.
3. The ability to function normally because of structural integrity, as in a heart valve.

Word History and Origins

Origin of competence¹

First recorded in 1585–95; compet(ent) + -ence

Example Sentences

So now imagine you could do that same thought experiment, but not just doing it at random, doing it at a large scale while having some metric of screening for those who actually had both the greatest competence as well as the greatest commitment and knowledge of the Constitution.

From Slate

Qualities such as competence or experience have no bearing whatsoever.

From Slate

It has also emerged that, in the previous year, a liver nurse only approved the associate's competence in using the equipment because she assumed he was a doctor.

From BBC

But he also worried about Harris’ competence.

From Los Angeles Times

And in a time when you can apparently fool some of the people all of the time, these videos offer solid documentary evidence of expertise, of competence and of fine motor skills.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• appropriateness
• capability
• capacity
• competency
• expertise
• fitness
• know-how
• proficiency
• qualification
• savvy
• skill
• suitability