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Synonyms

competency

American  
[kom-pi-tuhn-see] / ˈkɒm pɪ tən si /

noun

plural

competencies
  1. competence.


competency British  
/ ˈkɒmpɪtənsɪ /

noun

  1. law capacity to testify in a court of law; eligibility to be sworn

  2. a less common word for competence competence

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • noncompetency noun

Etymology

Origin of competency

First recorded in 1585–95; from Middle French, from Medieval Latin competentia “expertise, suitability,” in Latin: “agreement, proportion, symmetry,” equivalent to competent + -cy

Compare meaning

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The calls were recorded last year while he was being treated for four months in a mental health unit at a federal prison in North Carolina to see if he could regain competency.

From BBC

In the absence of ethnic studies, groups like Radical Monarchs help bridge the lack of racial diversity and cultural competency in schools.

From Los Angeles Times

One doctor never examined her, while another barely spoke to her; either of these issues could invalidate competency declarations and expose medical misconduct, fraud and/or conspiracy.

From MarketWatch

Threading the needle between investors’ need for information and a company’s ability to focus on its core competency isn’t easy—but in some ways the SEC’s proposal fails at both.

From Barron's

Last August, the Australian government banned remote or at-home tests to assess the language competency of migrants.

From BBC