competency
Americannoun
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competencies
plural
noun
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law capacity to testify in a court of law; eligibility to be sworn
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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
Compare meaning
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:
I suppose the only thing that would keep Tennessee from trying again is that there is a competency requirement for execution.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
Employees should have an open and clear line of communication about what actions will improve workflow and productivity, without making any assumption about perception of competency.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
A four-day competency hearing was held earlier this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
The suspect, Aaron Farinacci, 37, has not yet entered a plea, and a judge has ordered him to undergo a mental competency evaluation.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
The core competency there is speed and accuracy,” explained Glocer.
From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
The Ruesselsheim teams would in turn refocus on their core competencies -- vehicle parts such as chassis, seats, lighting, steering and driver-assistance systems.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
Employers increasingly emphasize demonstrated competencies, project-based experience and practical problem-solving abilities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
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
But the competencies of the earlier years were spent, and age could only plan for the activities in which it should not share.
From Charles Lewis Cocke Founder of Hollins College by William Robert Lee Smith
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.
