This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
competence
[ kom-pi-tuhns ]
/ ˈkɒm pɪ təns /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of competence
First recorded in1585–95; compet(ent) + -ence
Words nearby competence
compensatory lengthening, compensatory time, comper, compère, compete, competence, competency, competent, competently, competition, competitive
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use competence in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for competence
competence
/ (ˈkɒmpɪtəns) /
noun
the condition of being capable; ability
a sufficient income to live on
the state of being legally competent or qualified
embryol the ability of embryonic tissues to react to external conditions in a way that influences subsequent development
linguistics (in transformational grammar) the form of the human language faculty, independent of its psychological embodiment in actual human beingsCompare performance (def. 7), langue, parole (def. 5)
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
Scientific definitions for competence
competence
[ kŏm′pĭ-təns ]
The ability of bacteria to be undergo genetic transformation.
The ability to respond immunologically to an antigen, as in an immune cell responding to a virus.
The ability to function normally because of structural integrity, as in a heart valve.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.