1
as in qualified
having the required skills for an acceptable level of performance
any competent mechanic should be able to fix that
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in justified
being what is called for by accepted standards of right and wrong
the arbiter has all the necessary information to make a competent decision on the matter
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 competent
This is frequently the case because this process often purges competent officers and creates incentives for senior officers to lie to the leader about bad news.
—
Joe Wright, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2025
Canada’s ruling Liberal party picked Mark Carney — a former central bank governor known as a competent technocrat — as its new leader.
—Josh Fellman, Quartz, 9 Mar. 2025
This year’s show reminded me of the extravagant, zingy celebrations of cinema from my youth, with a highly competent host leading the viewer through nearly four hours of speeches, montages, and musical numbers.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2025
Culturally competent care is another critical piece.
—Dr. Kudzai Dombo, Flow Space, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for competent
Joe Wright, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2025
Canada’s ruling Liberal party picked Mark Carney — a former central bank governor known as a competent technocrat — as its new leader.
—Josh Fellman, Quartz, 9 Mar. 2025
This year’s show reminded me of the extravagant, zingy celebrations of cinema from my youth, with a highly competent host leading the viewer through nearly four hours of speeches, montages, and musical numbers.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2025
Culturally competent care is another critical piece.
—Dr. Kudzai Dombo, Flow Space, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for competent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for competent
Adjective
-
On Thursday, the S&P 500 closed down more than 10% since a peak attained last month, meaning the decline officially qualified as a market correction.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
14 Mar. 2025
-
The company wanted to hire men who were equally or less qualified than the female applicants, according to the complaint.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Even during bad economies, when layoffs are rampant and often more justified, the results are similar — and that’s according to Bain & Company, which, ironically, consults for firms that make cuts.—
Mark Dent,
thehustle.co,
7 Mar. 2025
-
Equally apparent, the justified fear the club has about his arm.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
This content is not, nor is intended to be, trading or investment advice or a recommendation that any investment product or strategy is suitable for any person.—
JJ Kinahan,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
-
This option is suitable for individuals who enjoy the feel of memory foam but are concerned about overheating.—
Jené Luciani Sena,
Fox News,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
And while the attention for both is well deserved, there’s so much more to the country than those two spotlight-grabbing cities.—
Christina Liao,
Vogue,
14 Feb. 2025
-
Bournemouth and Fulham have left Tyneside with deserved victories and Howe has appeared reluctant to use his replacements early.—
Sam Lee,
The Athletic,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
None of this is easy to watch for audiences who love animals, even if these unicorns are dark and fairly menacing in their appearance — not to mention perfectly capable of defending themselves.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
9 Mar. 2025
-
Chris is a brilliant forensic accountant capable of parsing weeks worth of complicated bookkeeping in a night, and spotting patterns others have missed.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
When splitting retirement plans, a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) is a legal document that is used to facilitate the split.—
Heather L. Locus,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
-
But, every time the legal system failed one of her clients, her faith in it was rattled.—
Sarah Lustbader,
The New Yorker,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The roundup includes proper studio full-lengths, live recordings, and greatest hits compilations.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
-
However, in Illinois, a lawsuit has been filed against Samsara, alleging violations of the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) for capturing and storing drivers' facial scans without proper consent.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
15 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Competent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/competent. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share