Added 9 October 2026
competent
/ˈkɒmpətənt/ adjective
Latin root: competens Wiktionary
adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about competent at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Properly or sufficiently qualified or capable or efficient.
a competent typist
-
Adequate, but not outstanding or exceptional.
a competent performance
-
Legally qualified or sufficient.
a competent court
Origin
From Middle English competent, conpetent, from Old French competent (modern French compétent), from Latin competens, competentem, present participle of competō (“coincide, be equal to, be capable of”). Compare Dutch competent (“competent”), German kompetent (“competent”), Danish kompetent (“competent”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)