Word
competency
Phoneticscom·pe·ten·cy, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈkɑmpətɪnsi/
UK/kˈɒmpɪtənsi/
Definitions
01ability to do a task
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Academic
n. the ability to do something well or to the required standard.
n. the quality or state of having sufficient knowledge, judgment, or skill for a particular duty or task.
“The job description lists several core competencies, including teamwork and communication.”
“The human resources department developed a new framework to assess the technical competency of senior engineering candidates during the interview process.”
Usage
Often used in the plural ('competencies') when referring to specific professional skills.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02legal capacity
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Law Technical · Formal
n. a person's legal ability to make their own decisions or understand a trial.
n. the legal capacity of an individual to participate in legal proceedings or to be held accountable for their actions.
“The judge had to decide on the defendant's mental competency to stand trial.”
“Legal experts questioned the witness's competency, arguing that his cognitive decline prevented him from providing reliable testimony.”
Usage
Frequently appears in the phrase 'competency to stand trial'.
Antonyms
03linguistic knowledge
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Technical · Academic
n. the natural, internal knowledge a person has of their own language.
n. the abstract, internalised knowledge of a language's grammar and rules, distinguished from 'performance'.
“Even if you make a mistake while speaking, your underlying linguistic competency remains the same.”
“Chomsky's distinction between competency and performance suggests that a speaker's actual output may not always reflect their total grammatical knowledge.”
Teaching tip
In linguistics, this is a technical term contrasted with 'performance' (how a person actually speaks).
Synonyms
Antonyms
04sufficient income
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic · Literary
n. having enough money or resources to live comfortably.
n. a sufficient supply of means or a sustainable income to provide for one's needs.
“He retired to the countryside once he had secured a modest competency.”
“In nineteenth-century novels, characters often strive to marry someone with a comfortable competency to ensure their social standing.”
Teaching tip
This sense is rarely found in modern speech and is mostly encountered in 18th and 19th-century literature.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“A widely cited 2019 Harvard Business Review analysis, for instance, found women outscored men on most leadership competencies.” “I took a long time to accept that my own violin competency was gone for ever.” Etymology
From Late Latin competentia. Doublet of competence.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/competency