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competence

American  
[kom-pi-tuhns] / ˈkɒm pɪ təns /

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.

  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 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

"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
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.

Etymology

Origin of competence

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

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 crew handled the systems with competence and grace.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

“Yesteryear” strays from this well-worn narrative with Natalie, a deliciously unlikable protagonist whose greatest flaw is her competence.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

The relative paucity of American casualties demonstrates the care and competence of the planning by Adm.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

“The White House is working closely with Congress to swiftly confirm Warsh and restore confidence, competence, and credibility to the Federal Reserve.”

From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026

But only the truly gifted ever leave that stage of traditional competence and become creators in their own right.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

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.