See Also: competent(1)(dictionary)
competent(2)(dictionary)
competent(dictionary)
competent cell(medicine)
COMPETENT WITNESS(law)
Competent Evidence(law)
immunologically competent cell(medicine)
Competent To Stand Trial(law)

competent(1) (iou)



competent adjective. LME.
[Old & mod. French competent or its source Latin competent- pres. ppl stem of competere in its earlier sense 'coincide, be fitting' (cf. COMPETE): see -ENT.]
a. gen. Suitable, appropriate. LME-L18.
b. spec. Appropriate to a person's rank or status. arch. LME.
K. E. Digby If she [a widow] depart from the castle, then a competent house shall be provided for her.
Sufficient or adequate in amount, extent, or degree. LME.
James Mill Mr. Pitt's bill..being now supported by a competent majority.
b. Moderate, no more than adequate. E16-L18.
Law. Legally authorized or qualified, able to take cognizance, (of a witness, evidence) eligible, admissible. LME.
gen. Belonging to as a rightful possession; permissible, legitimate. E17.
W. Blackstone It is not competent to the defendant to allege fraud in the plaintiff.
gen. Having adequate skill, properly qualified, effective. (Foll. by to do, at, for, in.) M17.
G. B. Shaw I should not be competent to deal with it, as I am not a technical expert in medicine. D. H. Lawrence Extremely competent at motor-cars and farming. R. Warner He was never brilliant but he used to be competent enough.
b. Of a stream, current: able to carry fragments of a certain size. L19.
c. Medicine. Esp. of a valve or sphincter: functioning normally. L19.
competently adverb LME.