competent
114
3.6
- adjective
- /ˈkɒmpɪtənt/
:
competente
- After months of training, she became competent enough to handle complex tasks independently.
- feel competent
- become competent
- highly competent
And he felt competent and capable to do that work.
- And he felt competent and capable to do that work.
- And I really have become competent in that business.
- I think Backer's a bit more, you know, competent in handling these things.
- And so you go back and forth, competent, not competent, competent, incompetent, right?
- We're accepting that age group as competent, not slow people.
- You can make your children competent and courageous, or you can make them safe.
- And each one gets Dumber and less competent and more entitled and more tragic.
- My next guest this Friday night stars as one of the few competent staffers on Beep.
- I think she is a very competent gaslighter.
- You know, tell me, is today's Whitehall as competent as it was in Thatcher's time?
Examples
-
We know you to be a competent manager.
-
He was well paid, very bright, very competent at what he did.
-
And I really have become competent in that business.
-
This means becoming so good, so competent at what we're now doing.
-
And he felt competent and capable to do that work.
-
In order to become a highly competent professional, one must know the expectations.
Academic text (2015) -
But the fact is, I was a functioning, competent mother.
-
Curriculum and methodology matter nothing if not put into play by a competent, caring teacher.
Academic text (2008) -
In particular, he has focused on culturally competent programs that promote youth health and fitness.
Academic text (2011) -
A music educator must be a competent performer and also possess strong teaching skills.
Academic text (2008)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Having the skill or power to do something
945
1.4
Able to do something well because of skill or training
304
3.0
Having the skills and experience needed for a job
172
3.5
Having special training and ability to do a job well
34
2.8
Good at doing something because of practice and careful control
32
6.0
Able to do a job or activity well because of practice
Antonyms
How Competent
Surface Forms
Morphology
competent = competence (transparent) = compet + ent
The adjective is directly related to the noun 'competence' (having competence → competent) and is a regular adjectival formation for learners.
Etymology
Competent comes from the Latin competere, from com- 'together' and petere 'to reach', so it originally meant 'to meet' or be the right fit. That's why a competent person 'meets' the needs of a job and has the skills to do it.