competency
Americannoun
noun
-
law capacity to testify in a court of law; eligibility to be sworn
-
a less common word for competence competence
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
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How does competency compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
If you have competency in something, you're well-qualified to do it, whether that's baseball, business management, or underwater basket weaving. Competency means "capability." Although we use it to mean someone has a sufficient qualification, it comes from the word compete, meaning that someone with competency is good enough to compete with other candidates. If you pass the medical board exams, then you have medical competency. Most jobs require that you show competency, either through certification, or on-the-job performance. If you keep faking injuries to get out of saving people, someone will eventually question your competency as a lifeguard.
Vocabulary lists containing competency
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 9
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"Building Design and Construction Handbook," Vocabulary from Section 1
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"CLEP Principles of Management," Vocabulary from Chapter 7
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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.
See Examples For:
He is cunning, not intelligent — something he unwittingly proves every time he claims that passing a basic mental competency test shows his brilliance.
From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2026
“It builds on our core quarrying competency, expands our geographic footprint and immediately establishes Martin Marietta as the leading national producer of lime solutions,” he said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
“I have worked extensively with issues of competency, insanity and mentally disordered offenders, requiring close collaboration with medical experts and careful application of nuanced legal standards,” he said in an email.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
But that standard requires only two modest extracurricular sessions on cross-cultural competency and related topics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026
His status made him exempt from the state-mandated competency tests that were a requirement for a high school diploma, and he had never taken college boards.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Employers increasingly emphasize demonstrated competencies, project-based experience and practical problem-solving abilities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
"We believe it is time to bring in new competencies and perspectives to the Board to support Mike Doustdar and his leadership team in executing on the company’s strategy," he said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2025
I feel like General Zod from Superman, floating off into space trapped inside a two-dimensional phantom zone, screaming in silence about my job qualifications and core competencies.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2025
He noted that the kind of social-cultural policies that her government has been most keen to tackle in Italy fall largely under national, not EU, competencies.
From Seattle Times ● May 31, 2024
The prize-money distributed amounted to handsome fortunes for the officers, and conferred competencies upon every man and boy in the two ships’ companies that took part in the capture.
From The Portsmouth Road and Its Tributaries To-Day and in Days of Old by Harper, Charles G. (Charles George)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
