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competence

[ kom-pi-tuhns ]
/ ˈkɒm pɪ təns /
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noun
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Origin of competence

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