competent

competent — adjective

1. A competent person has the skills and knowledge needed to do a task or job to a

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

A competent person has the skills and knowledge needed to do a task or job to a satisfactory standard.

Example

Dr. Okonkwo is a highly competent surgeon who has performed hundreds of successful operations.

adjective + noun: competent [professional role]

Leila proved herself competent at managing the team's daily tasks.

competent at + gerund

Common collocations
  • highly competent
  • perfectly competent
  • technically competent
  • competent enough
Synonyms
  • capable

    broader in scope — describes general ability rather than task-specific skill

  • qualified

    emphasises formal credentials or training, while competent focuses on actual ability

  • proficient

    suggests a higher, more practised level of skill, often with a specific tool or activity

  • skilled

    highlights practical ability gained through experience

Antonyms
  • incompetent

    direct opposite — lacking the necessary ability or skill

  • incapable

    suggests a complete lack of ability rather than inadequate skill

Grammar Patterns

competent + to-infinitive

competent + at/in + noun/gerund

competent + enough + to-infinitive

Usage Note

Frequently modified by adverbs such as highly, very, or perfectly. In negative contexts (not competent, incompetent), the term often implies a serious lack of ability rather than merely average performance.

Common Mistakes

She is competent of solving the problem.
She is competent to solve the problem.
competent takes to-infinitive or at/in, not of.
He did a competent work on the report.
He did competent work on the report.
work is uncountable here; no article needed.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe someone who can do something well, but they differ in scope and emphasis. Capable is the broadest — it describes general potential or ability without reference to specific training (a capable driver). Qualified focuses on formal credentials or meeting official requirements (a qualified accountant with a licence). Proficient stresses a high, practised level of skill, often with a particular tool or area (proficient in Python). Skilled highlights practical know-how gained through experience (a skilled carpenter). Competent sits in the middle: it means meeting the basic standard needed for a task without implying excellence. A competent doctor can handle routine cases safely, whereas a proficient one might also manage rare complications. In everyday use, 'perfectly competent' can even carry faint damning-with-faint-praise overtones, suggesting adequacy without brilliance.

competent ↗capable ↗qualified ↗proficient ↗skilled ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • competent to handle
  • competent to make
  • competent enough to

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Competent comes from Latin competentem, meaning 'sufficient' or 'capable', from the verb competere, which meant 'to come together' or 'to be suitable'. Com- means 'together', and petere means 'to seek' or 'to aim at'. The word entered English through French in the 1400s, first carrying the idea of being legally fit or authorised. Over time the meaning broadened to general ability and adequacy.