Ted doesn't have the competence to teach English.
Source: tatoeba (39437)
Competence
/ˈkɑm.pə.təns/
Synonyms for "competence" (209 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (42)
Noun(14 words)
abilitycompetencyabilitiesability degreeability to workaccomplishmentadequacyapplied skill developmentapply skillaptitudearea of knowledgebe capable ofbeing ablecapabilities
abilityablenessabsolute powerabsolutismabundanceaddressadeptnessadequacyadequate supplyadequatenessadroitnessairmanshipappropriatenessartartfulnessartisanshipartistryauthoritybare minimumbare sufficiency
Show 4 more words
Adjective(3 words)
advanced proficiencyapplied skill proficiencybasic proficiency
Verb(1 words)
build a skill
Strong matches (63)
Noun(14 words)
capabilitycapacity for workcapacity to do workcell culture knowledgeclassroom task capacityconcept masteryconfidenceconsensus buildingcreative problem solvingdirection followingexercise skillfield competencefitis able to
capablenesscapacityclevernesscommandcompetencyconditionconstituted authoritycontrolcoordinationcraftcraftsmanshipcunningdeftnessdelegated authoritydexteritydexterousnessdextrousnessdiplomacydivine rightefficacy
Show 22 more words
efficiencyenoughexact measureexpertisefacilityfacultyfinessefitnessfittednessflairfortegeniusgoodsgracegriphandinesshorsemanshipindirect authorityingeniousnessingenuityinherent authorityjus divinum
Verb(4 words)
capacitate studentscapacitate workerscarry out a plangain a skill
Adjective(3 words)
clear understandinggreat achievementhigh self-efficacy
Related words (104)
just enoughknow howknow-howlawful authoritylegal authoritylegitimacymarksmanshipmastershipmasterymaturitymightminimumpowerpractical abilitypreparednessprerogativeproficiencyprowessqualificationquickness
Show 49 more words
readinessregalityresourceresourcefulnessrightright amountrightful authorityripenessroyal prerogativesatisfactionsatisfactorinesssatisfactory amountsavoir-fairesavvysaysay soseamanshipseasoningskillskillfulnessstylesufficiencysufficientsufficientnesssuitabilitysuitablenesssuitednesssusceptibilitytacttactfulnesstalenttechnical brilliancetechnical masterytechnical skilltechniquetemperingthe goodsthe saythe say-sothe stufftimingtrimvested authorityvicarious authorityvirtuositywhat it takeswitwizardryworkmanship
Noun(29 words)
knacklanguage proficiencieslearningmanagingmasteringmental capacitymore swedish kapitalnousperformance capacitypowerspreparednessprofessionalismproficiencyprovisioning abilitypurviewqualificationreadinessreading understandingrepertoiresavoir-faire
Show 9 more words
self-efficaciousnessskill readinessskillingskillsskillyspanish podersufficiencywherewithalwork ability
Verb(3 words)
learn a skillmeet individual needsperform a task
Adjective(3 words)
musical skilloperational competencepractical skill
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: ability, competency, abilities, ability, ability degree.
- Sentence evidence is available for competence, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, opengloss, wordnet, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "competence".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "competence"
Keep "competence" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "competence" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "competence", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "competence" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
5 entriesMore specific
7 entriesCollocations
6 entriesacademic competencecompetence leveldemonstrate competencedisplay competencelanguage competencemathematical competence
Inflections
2 entriesDerivations
3 entriesAntonyms
1 entriesTranslations
62 translations across 23 languages.
Bengali
2 entries- আহলিয়াত noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- আহলিয়াত noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
Bulgarian
4 entries- вещина noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- компетентност noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
- мерода́вност noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
- правомощие noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
Catalan
2 entries- competència noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- competència noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
Dutch
4 entries- bekwaamheid noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- bevoegdheid noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
- competentie noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- competentie noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
Finnish
4 entries- kompetenssi noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- kompetenssi noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
- pätevyys noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- pätevyys noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
French
2 entries- compétence noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- compétence noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
Galician
2 entries- competencia noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- competencia noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
Georgian
1 entries- კომპეტენტურობა noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
German
4 entries- Befugnis noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
- Befähigung noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- Kompetenz noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- Kompetenz noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
Hebrew
3 entries- יכולת noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- סמכות noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- סמכות noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
Hindi
2 entries- दक्षता noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- दक्षता noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
Hungarian
1 entries- hozzáértés noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
Italian
1 entries- competenza noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
Māori
1 entries- āheinga noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
Ottoman Turkish
2 entries- صنعت noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
- هنر noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
Persian
2 entries- باعرضه noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- باعرضه noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
Polish
1 entries- kompetencja noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
Portuguese
2 entries- competência noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- competência noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
Russian
4 entries- компете́нтность noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- компете́нтность noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
- компете́нция noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
- правомо́чие noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
Spanish
2 entries- competencia noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- competencia noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
Swedish
1 entries- duglighet noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
Turkish
4 entries- yetki noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- yetki noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
- yetkinlik noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- yetkinlik noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
Ukrainian
4 entries- компете́нтність noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- компете́нтність noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
- компете́нція noun (the quality or state of being competent for a general role.)
- компете́нція noun (the quality or state of being competent for a particular task.)
Sample sentences
17 total sentences available.
Linguistic competence is inborn, not acquired.
Source: tatoeba (239750)
Develop your linguistic competence as much as possible.
Source: tatoeba (264693)
Competence and performance are two different things.
Source: tatoeba (692856)
Showing 4 of 17 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "competence"?
Closest matches include ability, competency, abilities, ability, ability degree.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "competence"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.