as in ability
the physical or mental power to do something
questioned his competence to finish the task without help
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Example Sentences
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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
-
So just months before the restaurant’s 2021 opening, he was placed on house arrest—and saw his empire of sober-living homes crumble and his ability to obtain new business licenses blocked because of his felony conviction.—
Kizzy Cox,
Essence,
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
-
Musk and his fans on Wall Street are convinced that Tesla will soon explode in value due to its AV capabilities and future robotaxi service, largely because self-driving robotaxis can operate more hours in a day than human driver.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
12 June 2025
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However, Hezbollah has been significantly weakened by recent Israeli military campaigns and crippling economic sanctions, limiting its current capabilities.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
In all seriousness, this animated anthology jumps across three time zones, ending in World War II, and sets up how predators have been coming to Earth for centuries to prove their competency through battle.—
Rebecca Aizin,
People.com,
6 June 2025
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For now, the most recent criminal case, and the prior charges against Stevens are on hold until his competency can be restored.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Competence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/competence. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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