SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
competent
adjective
Having the ability and knowledge needed to perform a task adequately.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Adequately skilled or capable
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topProficient may imply greater skill; competent means adequate to the task.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See competent in use
A competent reviewer can identify unsupported claims and explain how to improve them.
The repair club needed a competent instructor who could use the sewing machine reliably and explain its basic controls.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license