What does "incompetent" mean?

1. (unskilled or incapable) not having the skills or ability to do a job or task well. 2. (legally unfit) not able to make good decisions for yourself because of a mental problem. 3. (geology/medicine) describing a part of the body or a layer of rock that is weak and changes shape easily. 4. (an incapable person) a person who is not good at their job or lacks necessary skills.

incompetent

adj. · n.

US //ˌɪnˈkɑmpətənt// UK //ɪnkˈɒmpɪtənt// in·com·pe·tent

1 unskilled or incapable (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

not having the skills or ability to do a job or task well.

lacking the necessary ability, knowledge, or skill to perform a task or function successfully.

Example

The company fired the manager because he was incompetent and kept losing money.

Example

The investigation revealed that the project failed due to an incompetent leadership team that ignored several safety warnings.
2 legally unfit (adj.)
C1 Advanced Formal Technical Law

not able to make good decisions for yourself because of a mental problem.

lacking the legal or mental capacity to manage one's own affairs or to stand trial.

Example

The judge ruled that the man was mentally incompetent to sign the contract.

Example

The court appointed a legal guardian after the defendant was declared mentally incompetent to manage his own financial estate.
- unfit
- incapacitated
- sane
- fit

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3 geology/medicine (adj.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Science

describing a part of the body or a layer of rock that is weak and changes shape easily.

referring to a physical structure that fails to perform its function or lacks the strength to resist deformation.

Example

The doctor explained that an incompetent valve was causing the patient's heart problems.

Example

In this geological formation, the incompetent layers of shale folded much more easily than the surrounding sandstone under tectonic pressure.
- weak
- yielding
- strong
- resistant
4 an incapable person (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

a person who is not good at their job or lacks necessary skills.

a person who lacks the ability or qualities needed to perform a role effectively.

Example

I am tired of working with incompetents who never finish their work on time.

Example

The political satirist portrayed the entire cabinet as a group of bumbling incompetents who were out of touch with reality.
- bungler
- idiot
- expert
- professional

Origin

Borrowed from French incompétent, from Late Latin incompetentem, from Latin incompetēns, equivalent to in- + competent.