competent
Americanadjective
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having suitable or sufficient skill, knowledge, experience, etc., for some purpose; properly qualified.
He is perfectly competent to manage the bank branch.
- Synonyms:
- proficient, capable, fit
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adequate but not exceptional.
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Law. (of a witness, a party to a contract, etc.) having legal competence, as by meeting certain minimum requirements of age, soundness of mind, or the like.
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Geology. (of a bed or stratum) able to undergo folding without flowage or change in thickness.
adjective
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having sufficient skill, knowledge, etc; capable
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suitable or sufficient for the purpose
a competent answer
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law (of a witness) having legal capacity; qualified to testify, etc
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belonging as a right; appropriate
Related Words
See able.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of competent
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin competent- (stem of competēns, present participle of competere “to meet, agree”); see compete, -ent
Explanation
If you are competent, you have the necessary ability or skills to do something. If you can carry a heavy tray of food and store a table's worth of orders in your head, you are probably a competent waiter. The opposite of competent is incompetent — an incompetent travel agent might send you to Bahrain when you requested Britain. But competent on its own can sometimes be a veiled criticism, with the implication that someone competent is just going to through the motions — you'd rather have someone inspired on the job. In legal language, competent describes someone who has the mental capacity to take part in a trial or sign a contract.
Vocabulary lists containing competent
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 26–31
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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.
“Is he purging not just perfectly competent people, but highly competent people, the people you would want in your foxhole?” he asks.
From Salon • May 1, 2026
Unglamorous and competent are Becerra’s middle names, and they were on display at the debate — for better and mostly worse.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
X-Energy CEO J. Clay Sell also stands out as a competent leader, Gadomski added.
From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026
Close observers say Rew's keeping is competent, rather than spectacular, possibly hampered by some heavy footwork.
From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026
Ragtime’s syncopation was drawn from a relatively limited menu of possible variations, and could therefore also be written down and mastered, in time, by any competent pianist.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
