Meaning & use
competence
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
The skill and knowledge needed to do a job properly.
Grammar: Often 'in' a field: competence in math.
Patterns
- competence in something
- competence at doing something
Her competence impressed the new manager.
Doubts arose about his competence as a driver.
Basic competence in writing is needed for the course.
nouncountable or uncountablelegal
The legal power of a court or authority to deal with a matter.
Grammar: Formal; the competence of the court.
Patterns
- within the competence of something
The matter lies outside the competence of this tribunal.
Questions of that kind are within the court's competence.
Word forms
| plural | competences |
|---|
Common combinations
- demonstrate competence
- She demonstrated competence in the interview.
- professional competence
- Professional competence is checked annually.
- question someone's competence
- Don't question my competence.
- level of competence
- The test measures your level of competence.
Synonyms and how they differ
- proficiency
- Proficiency suggests a higher, practiced skill, while competence means adequate.
- capability
- Capability is potential to do something, not necessarily proven skill.
- expertise
- Expertise is deep specialist knowledge, much more than competence.
Opposites
Word family
- competent adjective
- having enough skill
- competently adverb
- in a capable way
- incompetence noun
- lack of skill
- competency noun
- a skill or ability
Commonly confused: competence or competition?
competence vs competition
Competition is a contest; competence is skill.
Practice
The hiring panel wanted proof of basic ___ in data analysis.
Choose one answer.
Competence means adequate skill. Competition is a contest and compliance means following rules.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “competence”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.