Incompetent

/ɪnˈkɒmpətənt/ · adjective

Meaning

Lacking the degree of ability and responsibility necessary to do a task successfully..

Definitions by Sense

1. Lacking the degree of ability and responsibility necessary to do a task successfully.
2. Unable to make rational decisions; insane or otherwise cognitively impaired.
3. (medicine, of the cervix) Opening too early during pregnancy, resulting in miscarriage or premature birth.
4. (geology) Not resistant to deformation or flow.
5. A person who is incompetent.

Example Sentences

Near-synonyms: incapable, inable, unable

Having an incompetent lawyer may be grounds for a retrial, but the lawyer in question probably doesn't know that.

Many Gazans scorn Fatah as corrupt and incompetent, and they dislike Hamas's overzealousness and repression.

The charged was judged incompetent to stand trial, at least until his medication started working.

Near-synonyms: dysfunctional, nonfunctioning

But besides these incompetents, there was always a train of camp followers, —women who followed the camp, beggars, and criminals, whose number was often greater than the number of fighting soldiers.

"Lies!" said the tallest of the sons of Ivaldi. "I wouldn't trust those fumble-fingered incompetents to shoe a horse."

Synonyms for incompetent

Antonyms for incompetent

Related Words

Word Forms

• more incompetent
• most incompetent
• incompetents

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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