competent

adjective com·pe·tent \ˈkäm-pə-tənt\

: 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

Full Definition of COMPETENT

: proper or rightly pertinent

: having requisite or adequate ability or qualities : fit <a competent teacher> <a competent piece of work>

: legally qualified or adequate <a competent witness>

: 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>

— com·pe·tent·ly adverb

See competent defined for English-language learners

See competent defined for kids

Examples of COMPETENT

… 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
[+]more [-]hide

Origin of COMPETENT

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

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to COMPETENT

Synonyms: able, capable, equal, fit, good, qualified, suitable, on the ball

Antonyms: incompetent, inept, poor, unfit, unfitted, unqualified

Synonym Discussion of 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>.

COMPETENT Defined for Kids