as in ability
the physical or mental power to do something
questioned his competence to finish the task without help
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of competence
Here are columns by Michelle Goldberg on Joe Biden’s competence crisis and David Brooks on the difficulties of college students.
—
German Lopez, New York Times, 16 May 2025
To be fair to les frères Dardennes, there is a reliable level of unshowy competence as well as an integrity to their insistence on embedding with unglamorous, recognizable people.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 23 May 2025
And that gets really interesting: Does piloting your own car become a statement of competence, capability, wealth?
—Iain MacAuley, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Read more: Donald Trump wants to reinstate a spoils system in federal government by hiring political loyalists regardless of competence
2.
—Amy Lieberman, The Conversation, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for competence
German Lopez, New York Times, 16 May 2025
To be fair to les frères Dardennes, there is a reliable level of unshowy competence as well as an integrity to their insistence on embedding with unglamorous, recognizable people.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 23 May 2025
And that gets really interesting: Does piloting your own car become a statement of competence, capability, wealth?
—Iain MacAuley, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Read more: Donald Trump wants to reinstate a spoils system in federal government by hiring political loyalists regardless of competence
2.
—Amy Lieberman, The Conversation, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for competence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for competence
Noun
-
Consumers that do not want to be contacted have the ability to limit or eliminate advertising.—
Julian Canete,
Oc Register,
4 June 2025
-
However, human ability to connect, imagine, and navigate ambiguity remains irreplaceable.—
Arafat Kabir,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
Later, Stokes represented Bean as his personal lawyer when he was sued in his capacity as superintendent of the center in 2003. Valliant, appointed to his seat on the board by the county commissioners, has represented county commissioners as their lawyer.—
Paige Pfleger,
ProPublica,
7 June 2025
-
Samuels will be joining the cast in a supporting capacity.—
Dave Quinn,
People.com,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
To address rising costs from tariffs, Bitmain VP Irene Gao said during the Antminer S23 launch that Bitmain is working to expand its manufacturing capabilities in the United States.—
Colin Harper,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
-
However, prior to their weekend, Smith's Venis launches a new iteration of an AI app he's developed that plunges the world into chaos, courtesy of its capability to produce highly realistic deepfake videos.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
31 May 2025
Noun
-
Millrose will now be responsible for acquiring, developing, and delivering finished lots to Lennar on a just-in-time basis, allowing Lennar to focus on its core competency i.e. home construction, while significantly reducing capital intensity and balance sheet risk.—
Joe Cornell,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
-
United’s short- to medium-term objectives need to focus on competency.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Competence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/competence. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share