competence
/ˈkɑm.pə.təns/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.58 in modern English
18
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The quality or state of being able or suitable for a particular task; the quality or state of being competent for a particular task or skill.
Countable
noun
The system of linguistic knowledge possessed by native speakers of a language, as opposed to its actual use in concrete situations (performance), cf. linguistic competence.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Teachers are now required to teach intercultural communicative competence."
- "Reason's whole pleasure, all the joys of sense, / Lie in three words — health, peace, and competence."
- "“money can only give happiness where there is nothing else to give it. Beyond a competence, it can afford no real satisfaction, as far as mere self is concerned.”"
- "A few years ago there lived in a city on the Mississippi a happy family, consisting of a husband, wife, and two children. They were in comfortable circumstances—he able to earn a competence—kind, affable, affectionate, […]"
- "The bill was denied royal assent because the Scottish Parliament does not have legislative competence on the bill's matter."
- "K C Wheare's definition of federalism requires that two governments be independent and co-ordinate within their own spheres, generally set out by the division of competences codified in a constitution, which is supreme."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: compétence, competentia
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈkɑm.pə.təns/
- British English: /ˈkɒm.pə.təns/