Adjacent Words

Incompetent definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

INCOM'PETENT, a. [L. in and competens, competo. See Incompatible.]
1. Wanting adequate powers of mind or suitable faculties; as an incompetent judge. Infancy, derangement, want of learning or dotage may render a person incompetent to fill an office or to transact business.
2. Wanting due strength or suitable faculties; unable.
3. Wanting the legal or constitutional qualifications. A person convicted of a crime, is an incompetent witness in a court of law or equity.
4. Destitute of means; unable.
5. Inadequate; insufficient; as incompetent testimony.
6. Unfit; improper; legally unavailable.
It is incompetent for the defendant to make this defense.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: legally not qualified or sufficient; "a wife is usually considered unqualified to testify against her husband"; "incompetent witnesses" [syn: incompetent, unqualified] [ant: competent]
2: not qualified or suited for a purpose; "an incompetent secret service"; "the filming was hopeless incompetent" [ant: competent]
3: showing lack of skill or aptitude; "a bungling workman"; "did a clumsy job"; "his fumbling attempt to put up a shelf" [syn: bungling, clumsy, fumbling, incompetent]
4: not doing a good job; "incompetent at chess" [syn: incompetent, unskilled]
5: not meeting requirements; "unequal to the demands put upon him" [syn: incapable, incompetent, unequal to] n
1: someone who is not competent to take effective action [syn: incompetent, incompetent person]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Middle French incompétent, from in- + compétent competent Date: 1595 1. not legally qualified 2. inadequate to or unsuitable for a particular purpose 3. a. lacking the qualities needed for effective action b. unable to function properly <incompetent heart valves> • incompetent noun • incompetently adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & n. --adj. 1 (often foll. by to + infin.) not qualified or able to perform a particular task or function (an incompetent builder). 2 showing a lack of skill (an incompetent performance). 3 Med. (esp. of a valve or sphincter) not able to perform its function. --n. an incompetent person. Derivatives: incompetence n. incompetency n. incompetently adv. Etymology: F incompétent or LL incompetens (as IN-(1), COMPETENT)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Incompetent In*com"pe*tent, a. [L. incompetens: cf. F. incomp['e]tent. See In- not, and Competent.] 1. Not competent; wanting in adequate strength, power, capacity, means, qualifications, or the like; incapable; unable; inadequate; unfit. Incompetent to perform the duties of the place. --Macaulay. 2. (Law) Wanting the legal or constitutional qualifications; inadmissible; as, a person professedly wanting in religious belief is an incompetent witness in a court of law or equity; incompetent evidence. Richard III. had a resolution, out of hatred to his brethren, to disable their issues, upon false and incompetent pretexts, the one of attainder, the other of illegitimation. --Bacon. 3. Not lying within one's competency, capacity, or authorized power; not permissible. Syn: Incapable; unable; inadequate; insufficient; inefficient; disqualified; unfit; improper. Usage: Incompetent, Incapable. Incompetent is a relative term, denoting a want of the requisite qualifications for performing a given act, service, etc.; incapable is absolute in its meaning, denoting want of power, either natural or moral. We speak of a man as incompetent to a certain task, of an incompetent judge, etc. We say of an idiot that he is incapable of learning to read; and of a man distinguished for his honor, that he is incapable of a mean action.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(incompetents) If you describe someone as incompetent, you are criticizing them because they are unable to do their job or a task properly. He wants the power to sack incompetent teachers. ? competent ADJ [disapproval] • An incompetent is someone who is incompetent. I'm surrounded by incompetents! N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Unable, incapable, not competent. 2. Insufficient, inadequate. 3. Disqualified, incapacitated, unfit, unfitted.

Moby Thesaurus

awkward, base, blank cartridge, bungling, castrato, clumsy, defective, deficient, disqualified, dud, dull tool, eunuch, failing, found wanting, gauche, gelding, greenhorn, ill-equipped, ill-fitted, ill-furnished, ill-provided, ill-qualified, imperfect, impotent, inadequate, incapable, incapable of, incomplete, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficient, ineligible, inept, inexpert, inferior, insufficient, invalid, lacking, little, maladjusted, maladroit, mean, mediocre, mediocrity, no conjuror, not comparable, not enough, not equal to, not in it, not up to, out of it, petty, shabby, small, too little, trivial, unable, unable to, unadapted, unadjusted, unarmed, unendowed, unequal to, unequipped, unfit, unfitted, ungifted, unprovided, unqualified, unsatisfactory, unsatisfying, unskilled, unskillful, unsufficing, unsuited, untalented, unworkmanlike, useless, wanting, weakling