competence

Meaning

1. (uncountable) The quality or state of being competent, i.e. able or suitable for a general role.
2. (countable) The quality or state of being able or suitable for a particular task; the quality or state of being competent for a particular task or skill.
3. (countable, uncountable) The system of linguistic knowledge possessed by native speakers of a language, as opposed to its actual use in concrete situations (performance), cf. linguistic competence.
4. (countable, dated, uncountable) A sustainable income.
5. (countable) the legal authority to deal with a matter.
6. (countable, uncountable) The degree to which a rock is resistant to deformation or flow.

Synonyms

ability

competency

capability

skill

proficiency

efficiency

expertise

expertness

aptitude

fitness

qualification

adequacy

accomplishment

jurisdiction

authority

talent

skilfulness

dexterity

suitability

capacity

aptness

capableness

cognizance

command

consciousness

expert

ken

literacy

lucidity

masterfulness

power

prowess

realization

reference

sufficiency

linguistic competence

awareness

knowledge

grammatical correctness

calibre caliber

activity

means

might

acquaintance

biceps

propriety

aptitude for

attribution

effectiveness

language capability

Translations

compétence

Kompetenz

competenza

competencia

competentie

competência

Zuständigkeit

yetki

capacité

Sachkenntnis

vaardigheid

bedrevenheid

bekwaamheid

habileté

competència

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkɒm.pə.təns/

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French compétence, from Late Latin competentia. Doublet of competency.