competence

== English == === Etymology === Borrowed from Middle French compétence, from Late Latin competentia. Doublet of competency. === Pronunciation === (UK) IPA(key): /ˈkɒm.pə.təns/ (US) IPA(key): /ˈkɑm.pə.təns/ (Canada) IPA(key): /ˈkɒm.pə.təns/, /ˈkɑm.pə.təns/ (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈkɔm.pə.təns/, /ˈkɒm.pə.təns/ === Noun === competence (countable and uncountable, plural competences) (uncountable) The quality or state of being competent, i.e. able or suitable for a general role. (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 or skill. (linguistics) The system of linguistic knowledge possessed by native speakers of a language, as opposed to its actual use in concrete situations (performance), cf. linguistic competence. (dated) A sustainable income. (countable, law, politics) the legal authority to deal with a matter. (geology) The degree to which a rock is resistant to deformation or flow. ==== Synonyms ==== ability competency nous savoir-faire knack (colloq.) aptitude See also Thesaurus:skill ==== Antonyms ==== inability ineptitude incompetence ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== compete competition competentness ==== Translations ==== ==== References ==== “competence”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.