competent

adjective

com·pe·tent | \ ˈkäm-pə-tənt

Definition of competent

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

Other Words from competent Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about competent

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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

And now, that’s because of a lot of different reasons, but one of the reasons is that the FBI has actually been quite competent in its anti-terror mission. — Nr Staff, National Review, "The Editors Podcast: More Mass Shootings Shake the Nation," 9 Aug. 2019 Today, the study found, women and men in the US are largely perceived as being equally competent—a significant shift from earlier attitudes that saw women as lacking in competency traits. — Sangeeta Singh-kurtz, Quartz at Work, "Women in the US are seen to be as smart as men, but not ready to lead," 22 July 2019 At Wednesday’s hearing, Judge Robert Foiles expressed doubts whether Dosouqi was competent to stand trial and act as his own attorney. — Gwendolyn Wu, SFChronicle.com, "Pacifica man charged in fatal back-road stabbings might not be fit for trial," 17 July 2019 Of almost 500 defendants sent for restoration from January 2017 to mid-May 2018, more than half were later found competent to go to trial, and many more cases were pending. — Uriel J. Garcia, azcentral, "Mom of a jailed woman with mental illnesses asks that she be released," 24 July 2019 He was found competent last year and went to trial earlier this month in El Cajon Superior Court. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Driver convicted in Ramona crash that killed woman and unborn child," 18 July 2019 Wesley was moved from the complex to the House of Correction once he was found competent to participate in his defense on a charge of robbery with threat of force. — Sydney Czyzon, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Mental health advocate sues county, says it failed to provide mental illness medication to her son in jail," 3 July 2019 Likewise, witnesses are not competent to opine on the legality of Hunter’s behavior or to draw conclusions or make statements as to Hunter’s state of mind. — Jeff Mcdonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Hunter used campaign funds to finance multiple affairs, prosecutors say," 25 June 2019 Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Wagner reaffirmed an earlier ruling that Freeman is not competent to refuse medication or treatment due to mental illness. — Sydney Czyzon, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Man accused of killing 33-year-old Froedtert nurse remains in mental health institution for incompetency," 4 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'competent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for competent

competent

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of competent

: having the necessary ability or skills : able to do something well or well enough to meet a standard

law : able to take part in a trial

See the full definition for competent in the English Language Learners Dictionary

competent

adjective

com·pe·tent | \ ˈkäm-pə-tənt

Kids Definition of competent

: capable sense 2, efficient a competent teacher

competent

adjective

com·pe·tent

competent

Definition of competent

Other Words from competent

Synonyms & Antonyms for competent

Choose the Right Synonym for competent

Examples of competent in a Sentence

First Known Use of competent

History and Etymology for competent

English Language Learners Definition of competent

Kids Definition of competent

competent

Definition of competent

Other Words from competent

Synonyms & Antonyms for competent

Choose the Right Synonym for competent

Examples of competent in a Sentence

First Known Use of competent

History and Etymology for competent

English Language Learners Definition of competent

Kids Definition of competent

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