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
Make demonstrated competence a source of evident admiration and unmistakable affirmation.
—
Chip Bell, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
Jess, finally looking and sounding like a confident adult, directs the commercial with competence.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 11 July 2025
Power, in this world, no longer demands competence.
—arkansasonline.com, 10 July 2025
Critics have accused the regime of prioritizing ideological loyalty over competence, allowing individuals who simply mouthed hard-line slogans to rise through the ranks while concealing their true allegiances.
—Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for competence
Chip Bell, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
Jess, finally looking and sounding like a confident adult, directs the commercial with competence.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 11 July 2025
Power, in this world, no longer demands competence.
—arkansasonline.com, 10 July 2025
Critics have accused the regime of prioritizing ideological loyalty over competence, allowing individuals who simply mouthed hard-line slogans to rise through the ranks while concealing their true allegiances.
—Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for competence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for competence
Noun
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Their ability to unify data, automate execution and adapt messaging at scale enables marketing teams to move faster, work smarter and engage customers more meaningfully than ever before.—
Aleks Farseev,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
-
On a per-snap basis, Banks was one of the most disruptive interior defensive linemen in college football last season due to his ability to generate force to the football.—
Dane Brugler,
New York Times,
22 July 2025
Noun
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Known for his cutting-edge, analytic approach at the college level, Golden briefly turned art critic as Bates revealed his latest effort for a capacity crowd of 120 people during a fundraising event staged by Florida Victorious, the Gators’ NIL collective.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 July 2025
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By the end of the year, 103,000 more pets had entered shelters than had exited, contributing to an ongoing capacity crisis in U.S. shelters.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
Noun
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Hesitation may also be tied to doubts about AI’s capabilities—to make unbiased recommendations and assessments, for example.—
Corinne Post,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
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The order also called on federal agencies to consolidate their firefighting capabilities for efficiency, and to deploy technology including artificial intelligence to better fight fires.—
Brandon Loomis,
AZCentral.com,
15 July 2025
Noun
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But Padden rebutted that in her statement, noting that Galligan underwent two mental competency evaluations — one by the state Office of Civil and Forensic Mental Health in 2024 and another by an independent psychiatrist in June.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
24 July 2025
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While some haven’t been able to show a connection, others suggest dogs really are more likely to pick humans displaying traits such as generosity, competency, and niceness.—
Rosie McCall,
Discover Magazine,
21 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Competence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/competence. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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