incompetence

C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas

Also spelled incompetency

US /ɪnˈkɑmpətəns/ UK /ɪnˈkɒmpɪtəns/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
lack of the skill or ability to do something successfully

The project failed through sheer managerial incompetence.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · lack of the skill or... inability ineptitude incapacity inadequacyineffectiveness

Opposites

competence ability proficiency skill

Word family

Related forms incompetent competence competent compete

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

valvular incompetence
a condition in which a valve in the body cannot close fully

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (1)

See all

Every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence

Etymology

From in- ('not') + competence, from Latin competentia ('agreement, fitness'), from competere ('to be suitable, meet'), from com- ('together') + petere ('to seek, strive').

competere Latin petere Latin *peth₂- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# incompetence

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈkɑmpətəns/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈkɒmpɪtəns/

## Meanings
1. lack of the skill or ability to do something successfully

## Examples
- The project failed through sheer managerial incompetence.

## Synonyms
- inability
- ineptitude
- incapacity
- inadequacy
- ineffectiveness

## Antonyms
- competence
- ability
- proficiency
- skill

## Related Forms
- incompetent
- competence
- competent
- compete

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: competere
- Root: petere
- Root: *peth₂-

## Etymology
From in- ('not') + competence, from Latin competentia ('agreement, fitness'), from competere ('to be suitable, meet'), from com- ('together') + petere ('to seek, strive').

## AI Etymology
incompetence comes from in- ('not') + competence, from Latin competentia ('agreement, fitness'), from competere ('to be suitable, meet'), from com- ('together') + petere ('to seek, strive'). Morphologically, the prefixed shape matters: the initial element belongs to the recorded formation and helps explain the modern form's surface analysis. In present English, the noun sense is "lack of the skill or ability to do something successfully", so the historical development ends in a clearly identifiable modern dictionary use. The same base also appears in related forms such as incompetent, competence, competent, and compete. Its semantic neighborhood includes inability, ineptitude, incapacity, and inadequacy, which helps locate the modern sense without adding a separate etymological claim. The named historical forms include Latin competere, Latin petere, and Proto-Indo-European *peth₂-.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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