Competent
/ˈkɒmpɪtənt/
adjectiveBeginnerVery CommonAcademic
Meaning
Question
Definitions
1
Having the necessary skills and knowledge to do something successfully.
/ˈkɒmpɪtənt/
adjectivepositiveBeginner
Academic
Having the necessary ability, skill, or knowledge.
He's a competent musician.
💡 Simply: Being good at something. Like a star basketball player is competent at dribbling and shooting.
👶 For kids: Good at doing things.
More Examples
2
She's a competent manager, able to handle any situation.
How It's Used
Professional
"She is a competent surgeon."
Education
"The students demonstrated competent writing skills."
From Latin *competēns, present participle of competere "to be suitable, fit, or capable".
The word has been used in its current sense since the 16th century.
Memory tip
Think 'compete' - competent people can compete successfully.
Practice
Base: competence
compitentcompotentcompetant
Usage
60%Spoken
40%Written