competently

C2+ Topic:Describing People

US /ˈkɑmpɪtəntli/ UK /ˈkɒmpɪtəntli/ See IPA manual

adv

Meanings

1

adv
in a capable and effective manner

She handled the emergency competently and without panic.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · in a capable and effective... capably ablyproficientlyskillfully adequately efficiently

Opposites

incompetentlyineptly poorly

Word family

Related forms competent competence competency compete

Etymology

From competent + -ly, from Latin competens, present participle of competere ('to be fit or suitable'), from com- ('together') + petere ('to seek, strive').

competere Latin petere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing People Word Formation & Derivatives

# competently

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adv
**IPA (US):** ˈkɑmpɪtəntli
**IPA (UK):** ˈkɒmpɪtəntli

## Meanings
1. in a capable and effective manner

## Examples
- She handled the emergency competently and without panic.

## Synonyms
- capably
- ably
- proficiently
- skillfully
- adequately
- efficiently

## Antonyms
- incompetently
- ineptly
- poorly

## Related Forms
- competent
- competence
- competency
- compete

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: competere
- Root: petere

## Etymology
From competent + -ly, from Latin competens, present participle of competere ('to be fit or suitable'), from com- ('together') + petere ('to seek, strive').

## AI Etymology
Competently comes from competent + -ly, from Latin competens, present participle of competere ('to be fit or suitable'), from com- ('together') + petere ('to seek, strive'). The historical trail runs through competere in Latin and petere in Latin. Morphologically, competently is transparent: it draws on competent + -ly, from Latin competens, present participle of competere ('to be fit or suitable'), from com- ('together') + petere ('to seek, strive'). Used as an adverb, competently now means "in a capable and effective manner", so the present definition can be read against the older forms and meanings. The same lexical family is also visible in related forms such as competent, competence, competency, and compete. The result is a borrowed or transmitted form whose modern spelling carries a compact record of its route into English.

## Topics
- Describing People
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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