core competency

or core competence

noun

1. a skill needed in order to be successful at a job or other activity:

   Several core competencies have been identified as critical to the success of every student.

2. a particular area of knowledge or expertise that gives a business a competitive advantage:

   The automaker's core competency is sports cars.

Word History and Origins

Origin of core competency¹

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

At these events, she’s demonstrated what is probably the core competency required of a Democratic nominee at the moment: coming across as sharper mentally than the current major-party candidates while delivering an easy-to-understand message about Donald Trump and J.D.

From Slate

Political savvy isn’t a required core competency in the infantry.

From Los Angeles Times

"The expectation is that the growth of mergers and acquisitions in the next couple of years will be high and that has been Pick's core competency so we view it as a good move," said Brian Mulberry, client portfolio manager at Zacks Investment Management, which held Morgan Stanley stock in the past.

From Reuters

"The expectation is that the growth of mergers and acquisitions in the next couple of years will be high and that has been Pick's core competency, so we view it as a good move. He was also the likely choice adding stability and experience they have been missing as this succession discussion has been going on. This is the type of event that could see faster earning estimate revisions, and investors could move to adopt the stock."

From Reuters

The core competency of Twitter was that it allowed people to post and look at posts easily.

From Slate