competency
Americannoun
plural
competenciesnoun
-
law capacity to testify in a court of law; eligibility to be sworn
-
a less common word for competence competence
Other Word Forms
- noncompetency noun
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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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.
Last August, the Australian government banned remote or at-home tests to assess the language competency of migrants.
From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026
This was because of "the industrial knowledge and the industrial data and competency we have in Europe", he said at the company's headquarters in Walldorf, southwest Germany.
From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026
A month before the competency exams, this relative asked me to take them to their doctor for “memory issues.”
From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026
Employees get an AI competency score from one to five—scoring a five if they create systems that improve the workflow of others.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 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
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.
