competent
adjective
com·pe·tent ˈkäm-pə-tənt 
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
competently adverb
Synonyms
- able
- capable
- equal
- fit
- good
- qualified
- suitable
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
… 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 See More
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 See More Recent Examples on the Web The law allows a patient to receive life-ending drugs if two doctors certify that the patient has six months or less to live and is mentally competent to choose death, and the patient has made two spoken requests for the drugs. Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Sep. 2022 Dementia, by its very nature, means that in the terminal stage, one is definitely not fully mentally competent. Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 12 Aug. 2022 One of two men charged in one of the state’s most heinous mass murders has been deemed mentally competent to stand trial for capital murder. Paul Gattis | Pgattis@al.com, al, 1 Aug. 2022 Billionaire Robert Brockman, who faces multiple charges of tax evasion, wire fraud and money laundering, is mentally competent to stand trial, according to a decision issued Monday by Judge George Hanks, Jr., in the Southern District of Texas. Irina Ivanova, CBS News, 24 May 2022 The judge also ruled Henry is mentally competent to stand trial, can understand the charges against him and is capable of assisting in his defense. Michael Kunzelman, Baltimore Sun, 4 May 2022 Senate Bill 88 would allow mentally competent patients with less than six months to live to obtain a prescription from a doctor for a lethal dose of medication. Daniela Altimari, courant.com, 4 Mar. 2022 Society frames the drive to be perfect as a sign of a competent and ambitious individual. Mark Travers, Forbes, 3 Aug. 2022 Surprising was the car’s responsive handling, which, thanks to standard rear-axle steering, enables easier maneuvering—even in dense city traffic—and proved competent and entertaining when taking loopy freeway on- and off-ramps at speed. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 13 July 2022 See More
Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Sep. 2022 Dementia, by its very nature, means that in the terminal stage, one is definitely not fully mentally competent. Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 12 Aug. 2022 One of two men charged in one of the state’s most heinous mass murders has been deemed mentally competent to stand trial for capital murder. Paul Gattis | Pgattis@al.com, al, 1 Aug. 2022 Billionaire Robert Brockman, who faces multiple charges of tax evasion, wire fraud and money laundering, is mentally competent to stand trial, according to a decision issued Monday by Judge George Hanks, Jr., in the Southern District of Texas. Irina Ivanova, CBS News, 24 May 2022 The judge also ruled Henry is mentally competent to stand trial, can understand the charges against him and is capable of assisting in his defense. Michael Kunzelman, Baltimore Sun, 4 May 2022 Senate Bill 88 would allow mentally competent patients with less than six months to live to obtain a prescription from a doctor for a lethal dose of medication. Daniela Altimari, courant.com, 4 Mar. 2022 Society frames the drive to be perfect as a sign of a competent and ambitious individual. Mark Travers, Forbes, 3 Aug. 2022 Surprising was the car’s responsive handling, which, thanks to standard rear-axle steering, enables easier maneuvering—even in dense city traffic—and proved competent and entertaining when taking loopy freeway on- and off-ramps at speed. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 13 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, suitable, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin competent-, competens, from present participle of competere — see compete
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
competent
adjective
com·pe·tent ˈkäm-pə-tənt
: capable sense 2, efficient
a competent teacher
Medical Definition
competent
adjective
com·pe·tent ˈkäm-pət-ənt
: 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
Legal Definition
competent
adjective
com·pe·tent ˈkäm-pə-tənt
1
: having or showing requisite or adequate ability or qualities
a competent lawyer
competent representation by counsel
2
a
: free from addiction or mental defect that renders one incapable of taking care of oneself or one's property
b
: capable of understanding one's position as a criminal defendant and the nature of the criminal proceedings and able to participate in one's defense compare capacity, incompetent, insanity
3
: legally qualified or adequate: as
a
: having the necessary power or authority
a judge of competent jurisdiction U.S. Code
U.S. Code b
: qualified for presentation in court : admissible as evidence or capable of giving admissible evidence
a competent witness
c
: intelligent
a competent waiver
competent
adjective
1
as in qualified
having the required skills for an acceptable level of performance any competent mechanic should be able to fix that Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- qualified
- suitable
- capable
- good
- able
- expert
- fit
- skilled
- experienced
- proficient
- skillful
- adept
- prepared
- equal
- accomplished
- ready
- seasoned
- master
- veteran
- willing
- trained
- masterful
- masterly
- ace
- practiced
- versatile
- on the ball
- schooled
- apt
- practised
- overqualified
- protean
- all-round
- all-around
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- incompetent
- unqualified
- inept
- unfit
- inexperienced
- poor
- unskilled
- unfitted
- untrained
- unprepared
- inexpert
- new
- unseasoned
- beginning
- green
- unskillful
- unschooled
- raw
- untried
- untested
2
as in justified
being what is called for by accepted standards of right and wrong the arbiter has all the necessary information to make a competent decision on the matter Synonyms & Similar Words
- justified
- deserved
- suitable
- legal
- appropriate
- proper
- legitimate
- rightful
- warranted
- right
- fair
- just
- due
- merited
- requisite
- lawful
- condign
- applicable
- meet
- accurate
- equitable
- fitting
- correct
- apt
- impartial
- strict
- fit
- stringent
- true
- uncompromising
- rhadamanthine
- square
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- unfair
- irrelevant
- unjust
- unjustified
- improper
- unreasonable
- unwarranted
- unsuitable
- incoherent
- incorrect
- inappropriate
- undeserved
- undue
- inapplicable
- partial
- biased
- irrelative
- unjustifiable
- indefensible
- unequal
- arbitrary
- inapt
- inequitable
- unlawful
- unmerited
- despotic
- illegitimate
- inapposite
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of competent are adequate, enough, and sufficient. While all these words mean "being what is necessary or desirable," 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
The words adequate and competent can be used in similar contexts, but adequate may imply barely meeting a requirement.
the service was adequate
Enough is less exact in suggestion than sufficient.
do you have enough food?
The meanings of sufficient and competent largely overlap; however, sufficient suggests a close meeting of a need.
sufficient savings