incompetent

[ in-kom-pi-tuhnt ]
/ ɪnˈkɒm pɪ tənt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR incompetent ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

not competent; lacking qualification or ability; incapable: an incompetent candidate.
characterized by or showing incompetence: His incompetent acting ruined the play.
Law.
  1. being unable or legally unqualified to perform specified acts or to be held legally responsible for such acts.
  2. inadmissible, as evidence.

noun

an incompetent person; a mentally deficient person.
Law. a person lacking power to act with legal effectiveness.

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Origin of incompetent

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Late Latin incompetent- (stem of incompetēns ) “unsuitable.” See in-3, competent

synonym study for incompetent

1. See incapable.

OTHER WORDS FROM incompetent

in·com·pe·tent·ly, adverb

Words nearby incompetent

incommutable, incompact, incomparable, incompatible, incompetence, incompetent, incompetent cervix, incomplete, incomplete abortion, incomplete antibody, incomplete antigen
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to incompetent

inefficient, incapable, inadequate, inept, unskilled, ineffectual, useless, unqualified, helpless, amateurish, inexperienced, raw, amateur, awkward, bungling, bush-league, clumsy, ineligible, inexpert, insufficient

Example sentences from the Web for incompetent

British Dictionary definitions for incompetent

incompetent
/ (ɪnˈkɒmpɪtənt) /

adjective

not possessing the necessary ability, skill, etc to do or carry out a task; incapable
marked by lack of ability, skill, etc
law not legally qualifiedan incompetent witness
(of rock strata, folds, etc) yielding readily to pressure so as to undergo structural deformation

noun

an incompetent person

Derived forms of incompetent

incompetence or incompetency, nounincompetently, adverb
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

Medical definitions for incompetent

incompetent
[ ĭn-kŏm′pĭ-tənt ]

adj.

Inadequate for or unsuited to a particular purpose or application.
Incapable of proper functioning.
Not qualified in legal terms.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.