Meaning & use
core competencies
Last updated
Meanings
nounpluralbusiness
The small set of skills or abilities that a company or organization does best and that give it a real advantage.
Grammar: Usually plural in this business sense; the singular 'core competency' refers to one such skill.
Patterns
- core competencies in something
- develop core competencies
- identify core competencies
The firm's core competencies are software design and customer support.
Managers spent the week identifying the company's core competencies.
She argued that too many businesses ignore their core competencies when they expand.
nounpluralformal
The most important skills or areas of knowledge that a person needs for a particular job or course of study.
Grammar: Used in education and training; often followed by 'for' or 'of'.
Patterns
- core competencies for something
- core competencies of a profession
- assess core competencies
The nursing program lists communication and patient care as core competencies.
Teachers are expected to assess students' core competencies before they graduate.
Critical thinking is one of the core competencies for this degree.
Word forms
| singular | core competency |
|---|
Common combinations
- develop core competencies
- The team is working to develop core competencies in data analysis.
- identify core competencies
- A good strategy starts by identifying your core competencies.
- build on core competencies
- The new plan builds on the company's core competencies rather than replacing them.
- core competencies in
- They have strong core competencies in logistics and distribution.
- list of core competencies
- The job advert includes a list of core competencies for the role.
Synonyms and how they differ
- strengths
- More general and everyday; it can refer to any good quality, not just the few skills a company is especially good at.
- expertise
- Focuses on deep knowledge or skill in one area, while 'core competencies' usually refers to a small group of key abilities.
- capabilities
- Suggests the ability to do something, often including resources and processes, not only skills.
Opposites
Word family
- competency noun
- A single skill or ability, especially one needed for a job.
- competent adjective
- Having enough skill or knowledge to do something well.
- competence noun
- The quality of being able to do something well.
Commonly confused: core competencies or competition? core competencies or core?
core competencies vs competition
Competition is about rivals trying to win; competencies are skills or abilities.
core competencies vs core
'Core' alone means the central or most important part; 'core competencies' is a fixed business phrase.
Practice
The company decided to focus on its ______ in engineering rather than entering the fashion market.
Choose one answer.
The plural 'core competencies' fits because the company has more than one key skill. 'Core competency' is singular and would need a singular verb or a different sentence. 'Core competence' is a less common variant but still singular, and 'core competitions' is wrong because competitions are contests, not skills.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “core competencies”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.