competent

[kom-pi-tuhnt] / ˈkɒm pɪ tənt /

ADJECTIVE

able

Synonyms

STRONGEST

adequate capable decent efficient proficient qualified skilled

WEAK

adapted all around appropriate au fait being a pistol clever complete crisp dynamite endowed enough equal fireball fit fool good know ins and outs know one's business know one's stuff know the answers know the ropes know the score no slouch on the ball paid one's dues pertinent polished satisfactory savvy sufficient suitable there up to it up to snuff up to speed wicked

Antonyms

STRONGEST

impotent incapable incompetent inept insufficient unable unqualified unskilled unsuitable

WEAK

inadequate inefficient

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Unlike many developing countries, Pakistan boasts a competent diplomatic corps staffed by officers fluent in English.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

"This country can build big things, we just need competent people at the helm to deliver them."

From BBC • May 19, 2026

And like the competent multitasking women they inhabit, as they’re piecing clues together, their dynamic fuels a path of internal discovery for both.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

"Everyone I met was highly competent and cared a great deal about doing the right thing," he wrote.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

No competent astronomer defended the traditional Ptolemaic system once they had heard that Venus had a full set of phases; you had to be an ill-informed philosopher to do so.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Vocabulary lists containing competent

"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 26–31

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