incompetence
Americannoun
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the quality or condition of being incompetent; lack of ability.
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Law. the condition of lacking power to act with legal effectiveness.
Etymology
Origin of incompetence
First recorded in 1655–65; from French incompétence (equivalent to in- negative prefix + compétence); variant of earlier incompetency; see origin at incompetent; see also -cy, -ence, -ency
Explanation
Can't finish a simple task? Having a hard time figuring something out? Lack the ability to get things done? Then you might be suffering from incompetence. Have you ever noticed how bad a lot of people are at their jobs, even though they do them every day? Or how often famous people screw things up, even very important things? Then you've already noticed that incompetence is a very common thing. Incompetence is a word for people and things that are ineffective, shoddy, or just terrible at what they're supposed to do. Incompetence is the opposite of excellence.
Vocabulary lists containing incompetence
Speak
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Franklin D. Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address (March 4, 1933), List 1
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Vocabulary Heard at the 2016 Republican National Convention
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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.
“I had not contemplated life beyond that night, and I’m deeply hurt by the incompetence that has put so many people in this terrible position,” Pike said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
A long bull market breeds complacency, helping to provide cover for incompetence or fraud.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
Mahmood Ul Islam, a 72-year-old lawyer in Kohat, south of Peshawar, told AFP he welcomed the emergency order, accusing the provincial government of "incompetence".
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
“This is not just incompetence, it is designed malfunction,” he said in a conference call with reporters about the whistleblower complaint.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
Feigning total incompetence, which wasn’t hard, he hit out wildly, tempting Hord with a glimpse of his unprotected chest.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
