competent
39
4.1
- adjective
- /ˈkɒmpɪtənt/
- Formal
:
competente
- So if you're screened properly, if you're guided by a competent person, the risks are quite low.
- a competent authority
- competent jurisdiction
- a competent court
Paternalism is when we say, well, you're not competent to make judgments for yourself.
- Paternalism is when we say, well, you're not competent to make judgments for yourself.
- And he said that the the competent authorities, which is the term they use for the intelligence services.
- And I'm telling you, in my opinion, you are not competent to make a decision about what medications he needs and whom he needs them.
- So as a result, we find that the way in which Ford was determined to be competent did not meet constitutional standards.
Examples
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From a legal point of view, is your suspect both sane and fully competent?
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The judge says you're competent to stand trial.
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And the court found that he was competent to for trial, allowed him to fire the lawyer.
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The country needs a competent vice president.
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My job is to evaluate whether or not you are competent to stand trial.
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Very glad to hear my opinion backed by a competent authority.
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But yes, everyone absolutely deserves a right to competent counsel.
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Having a knowledgeable and competent teacher can significantly influence a student's educational experience.
Academic text (2008) -
The psychiatrists' report finds the defendant not competent to stand trial.
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The judge says you are competent to stand trial.
Synonyms
304
3.0
Having the skills and experience needed for a job
2
6.1
Having official papers that show you are allowed to do a job or enter a place
Antonyms
How Qualified
Surface Forms
Morphology
competent = competence (semi-transparent) = compet + ent
The legal/authority sense is an extension of 'having competence' but is a domain-specific meaning that learners may not deduce from the base without context.
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 authority 'meets' the law's rules and has the right power or permission to act.