competency

noun

com·​pe·​ten·​cy ˈkäm-pə-tən(t)-sē 

plural competencies

1

: competence: such as

a

: possession of sufficient knowledge or skill

Dr. Polidoro was cited for his outstanding contributions to the profession, his professional … competency … and dedication.

—Rhode Island

At length horrible doubts overtake him as to the captain's competency to navigate his ship.

—Herman Melville

b

: legal authority, ability, or admissibility

They evaluated the defendant's competency to stand trial.

2

: a specific area of competence

A "meister," or master, who works with the student at the jobsite will then be able to check off when an apprentice has achieved certain competencies.

—Lynn Olson

I have always believed businesses that concentrate on a very few core competencies will do the best.

—Bill Gates

When coming up with a list of different industries, positions, and professions to which your skills could transfer, the key is to think in terms of your core competencies.

—John A. Challenger

Synonyms

• ability
• capability
• capableness
• capacity
• competence
• faculty

Examples of competency in a Sentence

Critics have questioned the director's competency.

she's proved that she has the competency to run a major company

Recent Examples on the Web

If a technical role is central to a company's core competencies, relying on a fractional professional may not be the best option. —Andres Zunino, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024

The Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit organization that works with prisoners who may have been denied fair trials, represented Dearman during his appeals process and raised questions about his mental competency in a blog post this week. —Abigail Brooks, NBC News, 18 Oct. 2024

That would mean admissions officers consider income level, disadvantages overcome by an applicant, cultural competencies, whether an applicant is a first-generation college student and other personal experiences. —Steph Solis, Axios, 16 Oct. 2024

In this issue’s special report on innovations in health equity, her illustrations give form to concepts that can be hard to visualize, such as cultural competency and data disaggregation, but that nonetheless have real consequences for people’s health. —Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see competent

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

competency

noun

com·​pe·​ten·​cy ˈkäm-pət-ən-sē 

: competence

Medical Definition

competency

noun

com·​pe·​ten·​cy -ən-sē 

plural competencies

: competence

Legal Definition

competency

noun

com·​pe·​ten·​cy ˈkäm-pə-tən-sē 

1

: the quality or state of being mentally competent compare capacity, incompetence, insanity

2

: the quality or state of being legally qualified or adequate

the competency, quantum and legal effect of evidence

—State v. Scoggin, 72 S.E.2d 54 (1952)