Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The ability to do something well or efficiently.
  • noun A range of skill or ability.
  • noun A specific ability or skill.
  • noun Law The quality or condition of being legally qualified or fit to perform an act.
  • noun Microbiology The ability of bacteria to be genetically transformable.
  • noun Medicine The ability to respond immunologically to bacteria, viruses, or other antigenic agents.
  • noun Linguistics The knowledge that enables one to speak and understand a language.
  • noun Sufficient means for a comfortable existence.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In physical geography, the ability of a stream to transport the amount of land waste that is brought into it.
  • noun The state of being competent; fitness; suitableness; adequateness: as, there is no doubt of his competence for the task.
  • noun Adequate authority or qualification; range of capacity or ability; the sphere of action or judgment within which one is competent.
  • noun In the law of evidence: Legal capacity or fitness to be heard in court, as distinguished from credibility or sufficiency, because the question whether the evidence shall be heard is usually determined before considering its weight.
  • noun Legal right or authority; power or capacity to take cognizance of a cause: as, the competency of a judge or court to examine and decide.
  • noun Sufficiency; such a quantity as is sufficient; especially, property, means of subsistence, or income sufficient to furnish the necessaries and conveniences of life, without superfluity.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The state of being competent; fitness; ability; adequacy; power.
  • noun Property or means sufficient for the necessaries and conveniences of life; sufficiency without excess.
  • noun Legal capacity or qualifications; fitness.
  • noun Right or authority; legal power or capacity to take cognizance of a cause.
  • noun the quality of being adequately or well qualified physically and intellectually, especially possession of the skill and knowledge required (for a task).

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun uncountable The quality or state of being competent, i.e. able or suitable for a general role.
  • noun countable The quality or state of being able or suitable for a particular task; the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.
  • noun A sustainable income.
  • noun countable In law, the legal authority to deal with a matter.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the quality of being adequately or well qualified physically and intellectually

Etymologies

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