competent

adjective

com·​pe·​tent ˈkäm-pə-tənt 

1

: proper or rightly pertinent

2

: having requisite or adequate ability or qualities : fit

a competent teacher

a competent piece of work

3

: legally qualified or adequate

a competent witness

4

: having the capacity to function or develop in a particular way: such as

a

: having the capacity to initiate an immune response following exposure to an antigen

antibody production by immunologically competent B cells

b

of a bacterial cell : capable of taking up exogenous DNA (as from a plasmid) during genetic transformation

natural and artificially-produced competent cells

competently adverb

Synonyms

• able
• capable
• equal
• fit
• good
• qualified
• suitable

Choose the Right Synonym for competent

sufficient, enough, adequate, competent mean being what is necessary or desirable.

sufficient suggests a close meeting of a need.

sufficient savings

enough is less exact in suggestion than sufficient.

do you have enough food?

adequate may imply barely meeting a requirement.

the service was adequate

competent suggests measuring up to all requirements without question or being adequately adapted to an end.

had no competent notion of what was going on

Examples of competent in a Sentence

… he was tolerated, if not endorsed as the competent painter he was. —Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, 2005

The crafting of fine violins has proceeded for centuries as a secret art, handed down through apprenticeships from generation to generation. It takes 8 years, at least, to train a competent craftsman, decades to hone a master. —Richard Lipkin, Science News, 3 Sept. 1994

"Resort cities're transient places," the detective argued. " … That doesn't mean the police aren't competent." —Joseph Wambaugh, The Secrets of Harry Bright, 1985

… I discovered that Lieutenant Lincoln—a much-admired man hereabouts, and, I imagine, an exceedingly competent physician—was from Worcester … —Alexander Woollcott, letter, 2 Oct. 1917

The defendant was declared competent to stand trial.

any competent mechanic should be able to fix that

Recent Examples on the Web

With figures suggesting global branding agencies were worth $5.2 billion in 2023, this is clearly a competent and expert sector. —Callum Booth, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025

Many of the reforms proposed here would require an activist and competent state, which suggests that quite a few countries would need to monumentally overhaul their governments’ operations. —Foreign Affairs, 14 Jan. 2025

Watching the Mayor refuse to say anything with an expressionless gaze didn’t give those evacuated much hope that local and state government will deliver a competent fire response. —Tim Anaya, Orange County Register, 13 Jan. 2025

All of this is fixable with better coaching/play calling, a competent O-line, practice and experience. —Adam Jahns, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, suitable, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin competent-, competens, from present participle of competere — see compete

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

competent

adjective

com·​pe·​tent ˈkäm-pət-ənt 

: having the necessary ability or qualities : capable

a competent musician

competently adverb

Medical Definition

competent

adjective

com·​pe·​tent ˈkäm-pət-ənt 

: having the capacity to function or develop in a particular way

specifically : having the capacity to respond (as by producing an antibody) to an antigenic determinant

immunologically competent cells

Legal Definition

competent

adjective

com·​pe·​tent ˈkäm-pə-tənt 

1

: having or showing requisite or adequate ability or qualities

a competent lawyer

competent representation by counsel

2

a

: free from addiction or mental defect that renders one incapable of taking care of oneself or one's property

b

: capable of understanding one's position as a criminal defendant and the nature of the criminal proceedings and able to participate in one's defense compare capacity, incompetent, insanity

3

: legally qualified or adequate: as

a

: having the necessary power or authority

a judge of competent jurisdiction

—U.S. Code

b

: qualified for presentation in court : admissible as evidence or capable of giving admissible evidence

a competent witness

c

: intelligent

a competent waiver