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competent . In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
competent , but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
competent in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
competent you have here. The definition of the word
competent will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
competent , as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From Middle English competent , conpetent , from Old French competent (modern French compétent ), from Latin competens, competentem , present participle of competō ( “ coincide, be equal to, be capable of ” ) . Compare Dutch competent ( “ competent ” ) , German kompetent ( “ competent ” ) , Danish kompetent ( “ competent ” ) .
Pronunciation
Adjective
competent (comparative more competent , superlative most competent )
Having sufficient skill , knowledge , ability , or qualifications .
He is a competent skier and an expert snowboarder.
1922 , James Joyce , Ulysses :I believe in that myself because it has been explained by competent men as the convolutions of the grey matter.
1922 , James Joyce , Ulysses :That as a competent keyless citizen he had proceeded energetically from the unknown to the known through the incertitude of the void.
( law ) Having jurisdiction or authority over a particular issue or question .
For any disagreements arising from this contract, the competent court shall be the Springfield Circuit Court.
judicial authority having competent jurisdiction
Adequate for the purpose .
1662 , Henry More , An Antidote Against Atheism , Book II, A Collection of Several Philosophical Writings of Dr. Henry More, p. 67 :
For if they had been Viviparous , the burthen of their womb, if they had brought forth any competent number at a time, had been ſo big and heavy, that their wings would have failed them, and ſo every body would have had the wit to catch the Old one.
( biology , of a cell wall) Permeable to foreign DNA .
( geology ) Resistant to deformation or flow .
Antonyms
Related terms
Translations
skilled
Armenian: ձեռնհաս (hy) ( jeṙnhas ) , կոմպետենտ (hy) ( kompetent ) , կարող (hy) ( karoġ ) , իրազեկ (hy) ( irazek )
Bengali: ওয়াকেফ (bn) ( ōẇakeph )
Bulgarian: вещ (bg) ( vešt ) , способен (bg) ( sposoben ) , компетентен (bg) ( kompetenten )
Catalan: competent
Chinese:
Mandarin: 技艺娴熟的
Dutch: bekwaam (nl) , bevoegd (nl) , capabel (nl) , competent (nl)
Esperanto: kompetenta (eo)
Finnish: pätevä (fi) , osaava (fi) , etevä (fi) , taitava (fi)
Galician: competente (gl)
German: kompetent (de)
Hungarian: kompetens (hu) , hozzáértő (hu) , jártas (hu)
Malay: cekap (ms)
Maori: matatau , kaha (mi) , toa (mi)
Occitan: competent
Persian: شایسته (fa) ( šâyeste )
Polish: kompetentny (pl)
Portuguese: competente (pt)
Russian: компете́нтный (ru) ( kompeténtnyj )
Scottish Gaelic: comasach
Spanish: competente (es)
Ukrainian: компете́нтний ( kompeténtnyj )
law: having jurisdiction or authority
Catalan
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin competentem .
Pronunciation
Adjective
competent m or f (masculine and feminine plural competents )
competent ( having sufficient skill )
Antonym: incompetent
( law ) competent ( having jurisdiction or authority )
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
Dutch
Etymology
From Middle Dutch competent , from Middle French competent , from Latin competēns .
Pronunciation
IPA (key ) : /ˌkɔm.pəˈtɛnt/
Hyphenation: com‧pe‧tent
Rhymes: -ɛnt
Adjective
competent (comparative competenter , superlative competentst )
competent
Inflection
Derived terms
Descendants
Latin
Verb
competent
third-person plural future active indicative of competō
Occitan
Etymology
From Latin competēns .
Pronunciation
Adjective
competent m (feminine singular competenta , masculine plural competents , feminine plural competentas )
competent
Derived terms
Related terms
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowed from French compétent , Latin competens .
Pronunciation
Adjective
competent m or n (feminine singular competentă , masculine plural competenți , feminine and neuter plural competente )
competent
Declension
Related terms