competent

adjective

Having sufficient skill, knowledge, ability, or qualifications.

Adequate for the purpose.

(law) Having jurisdiction or authority over a particular issue or question.

(biology, medicine, of an organ, tissue, or system) Functionally in order; functioning adequately.

(biology, of a cell wall) Permeable to foreign DNA.

(geology) Resistant to deformation or flow.

Roots

petopet- · Latin · seek, strive

Synonyms for competent

proficientadj capableadj qualifiedadj adeptadj efficientadj ableadj effectiveadj adequateadj effectualadj efficaciousadj

Synonyms & related words for competent

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of competent — including proficient, capable, qualified, adept, efficient, able. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to competent

Explore words related to competent — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include omnicompetent, omnicompetence, skilled, workmanlike, skillful, competently, knowledgeable, incompetent. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for competent

Common synonyms for competent include proficient, capable, qualified, adept, efficient, able, effective, adequate — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does competent come from?

The word competent breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root pet-, from Latin peto (“seek, strive”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.