competence

American  

[kom-pi-tuhns] / ˈkɒm pɪ təns /

noun

• competences
  plural

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.

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.

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competence British  

/ 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

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competence Scientific  

/ 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.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• competences
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of competence

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

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Explanation

If you have competence, you're qualified or well prepared to do something. A driving test will show if you have competence behind the wheel. If your dad discovers a new dent in his car each time you've borrowed it, don't be surprised if he questions your competence as a driver. The words competence and competency are sometimes used interchangeably, although competence is better when describing the quality of being well qualified. Competency is more appropriate in a legal sense, referring to the ability of a person to make decisions or stand trial.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

competence competences

With medicalization, we assume care, we assume competence, we certainly assume humanity.

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026

Proceedings had earlier been suspended after doubts were raised over Ortiz's mental competence, but Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Maria Cavalluzzi on Tuesday reinstated criminal proceedings.

From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026

Helping him learn healthy money habits could instill a sense of confidence and competence that he might not gain from simply having money handed to him.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

When you hear a voice that sounds like your own, that triggers perceptions of competence, morality and integrity, Hyun says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

You were your own judge of competence, and as soon as you felt you were ready to go, off you jolly well went.

From "Boy: Tales of a Childhood" by Roald Dahl

The government said in a statement that the prosecutor, which operates independently, was acting "within the scope of its autonomy and competences".

From Reuters ● Feb. 1, 2022

Concerns include monitoring the competences of therapists and doctors working for digital apps, and worries about "very aggressive marketing" from some of the private companies behind them.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2021

Instead of "left" versus "right," think of two different core competences.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2020

“It’s the degree of specialization, the number of factories you’d need and the number of competences to make all the different parts,” Fowler said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2018

These patiently and painstakingly accumulated vast acquirements and competences needed but one thing more—opportunity—to convert themselves into triumphal action.

From What Is Man? and Other Essays by Mark Twain

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Related Words

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

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