v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Competed; p. pr. & vb. n. Competing. ] [ L. completere, competitum; com- + petere to seek. See Petition. ] To contend emulously; to seek or strive for the same thing, position, or reward for which another is striving; to contend in rivalry, as for a prize or in business; as, tradesmen compete with one another. [ 1913 Webster ]

The rival statesmen, with eyes fixed on America, were all the while competing for European alliances. Bancroft. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , n. [ Cf. F. compétence, from L. competentia agreement. ] 1. The state of being competent; fitness; ability; adequacy; power. [ 1913 Webster ]

The loan demonstrates, in regard to instrumental resources, the competency of this kingdom to the assertion of the common cause. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

To make them act zealously is not in the competence of law. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Property or means sufficient for the necessaries and conveniences of life; sufficiency without excess. [ 1913 Webster ]

Reason's whole pleasure, all the joys of sense,
Lie in three words -- health, peace, and competence. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Superfluity comes sooner by white hairs, but competency lives longer. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) (a) Legal capacity or qualifications; fitness; as, the competency of a witness or of a evidence. (b) Right or authority; legal power or capacity to take cognizance of a cause; as, the competence of a judge or court. Kent. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. the quality of being adequately or well qualified physically and intellectually, especially possession of the skill and knowledge required (for a task). [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

a. [ F. compétent, p. pr. of compéter to be in the competency of, LL. competere to strive after together, to agree with; hence, to be fit. See Compete. ] 1. Answering to all requirements; adequate; sufficient; suitable; capable; legally qualified; fit. “A competent knowledge of the world.” Atterbury. “Competent age.” Grafton. “Competent statesmen.” Palfrey. /“A competent witness.” Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Rightfully or properly belonging; incident; -- followed by to. [ Rare, except in legal usage. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

That is the privilege of the infinite Author of things, . . . but is not competent to any finite being. Locke.

Syn. -- See Qualified. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a competent manner; adequately; suitably. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Compatible; suitable; consistent. [ Obs. ] Sir M. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. competition. See Compete. ] The act of seeking, or endeavoring to gain, what another is endeavoring to gain at the same time; common strife for the same objects; strife for superiority; emulous contest; rivalry, as for approbation, for a prize, or as where two or more persons are engaged in the same business and each seeking patronage; -- followed by for before the object sought, and with before the person or thing competed with. [ 1913 Webster ]

Competition to the crown there is none, nor can be. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

A portrait, with which one of Titian's could not come in competition. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

There is no competition but for the second place. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Where competition does not act at all there is complete monopoly. A. T. Hadley.

Syn. -- Emulation; rivalry; rivalship; contest; struggle; contention; opposition; jealousy. See Emulation. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to competition; producing competition; competitory; as, a competitive examination. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. an agressive willingness to compete.
Syn. -- fight. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L.: cf. F. compétiteur. ] 1. One who seeks what another seeks, or claims what another claims; one who competes; a rival. [ 1913 Webster ]

And can not brook competitors in love. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An associate; a confederate. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Every hour more competitors
Flock to their aid, and still their power increaseth. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Acting in competition; competing; rival. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A woman who competes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ] A competitress. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ Cf. F. incompétence. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The quality or state of being incompetent; lack of physical, intellectual, or moral ability; lack of qualifications or training (for a particular task); insufficiency; inadequacy; as, the incompetency of a child for hard labor, or of an idiot for intellectual efforts. “Some inherent incompetency.” Gladstone.
Syn. -- incompetence. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) Lack of competency or legal fitness; incapacity; disqualification, as of a person to be heard as a witness, or to act as a juror, or of a judge to try a cause.

Syn. -- Inability; insufficiency; inadequacy; disqualification; incapability; unfitness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. incompetens: cf. F. incompétent. See In- not, and Competent. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Not competent; wanting in adequate strength, power, capacity, means, qualifications, or the like; incapable; unable; inadequate; unfit. [ 1913 Webster ]

Incompetent to perform the duties of the place. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) Wanting the legal or constitutional qualifications; inadmissible; as, a person professedly wanting in religious belief is an incompetent witness in a court of law or equity; incompetent evidence; a mentally defective person is incompetent to care for himself and requires a legal guardian. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

Richard III. had a resolution, out of hatred to his brethren, to disable their issues, upon false and incompetent pretexts, the one of attainder, the other of illegitimation. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Not lying within one's competency, capacity, or authorized power; not permissible.

Syn. -- Incapable; unable; inadequate; insufficient; inefficient; disqualified; unfit; improper. -- Incompetent, Incapable. Incompetent is a relative term, denoting a lack of the requisite qualifications for performing a given act, service, etc.; incapable is absolute in its meaning, denoting lack of power, either natural or moral. We speak of a man as incompetent to a certain task, of an incompetent judge, etc. We say of an idiot that he is incapable of learning to read; and of a man distinguished for his honor, that he is incapable of a mean action. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an competent manner; inadequately; unsuitably. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Incompatibility. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. See Incompatible. [ 1913 Webster ]

See abolishable.
See absolvable.
See absurd.
See abundant.
See accordant.
See adoptable.
See adventurous.
See affable.
See affectionate.
See afraid.
See alliable.
See allowable.
See alterable.
See ambiguous.
See ambitious.
See amendable.
See -American.
See amusive.
See angular.
See anxious.
See apocryphal.
See apostolic.
See apparent.
See appeasable.
See applausive.
See appreciable.
See apprehensible.
See apprehensive.
See approachable.
See artificial.
See artistic.
See assailable.
See attainable.
See attentive.
See authentic.
See available.
See bailable.
See bearable.
See beautiful.
See beliefful.
See believable.
See beneficial.
See benevolent.
See blamable.
See blemishable.
See blissful.
See boastful.
See bold.
See bookish.
See bounteous.
See bribable.
See brotherly.
See burdensome.
See businesslike.
See busy.
See candid.
See canonical.
See captious.
See careful.
See celestial.
See ceremonious.
See challengeable.
See changeable.
See chary.
See chastisable.
See cheerful.
See cheery.
See childish.
See chivalrous.
See choleric.
See christianlike.
See circumspect.
See civic.
See classible.
See classic.
See classical.
See cleanly.
See clear.
See clerical.
See clerklike.
See close.
See cloudy.
See clubbable.
See coagulable.
See cogitable.
See collectible.
See comic.
See commendable.
See commercial.
See communicable.
See communicative.
See compact.
See companionable.
See compassionate.
See compellable.
See competitive.
See complaisant.
See compliant. See complimentary.
See concealable.
See concurrent.
See conditionate.
See confinable.
See confutable.
See congealable.
See congenial.
See conjugal.
See conjunctive.
See conquerable.
See consecrate.
See containable.
See contaminate.
See contradictable.
See contrite.
See convenable.
See conventional.
See conversable.
See conversant.
See convertible.
See coquettish.
See cordial.
See corpulent.
See correspondent.
See corruptible.
See corruptive.
See costly.
See counselable.
See countable.
See counterfeit.
See courteous.
See courtierlike.
See courtly.
See crafty.
See creatable.
See critical.
See crystalline.
See cultivable.
See curious.
See customary.
See dangerous.
See daughterly.
See dead.
See deceivable.
See decidable.
See decipherable.
See declinable.
See decomposable.
See definable.
See delectable.
See deliberate.
See delightful.
See deliverable.
See democratic.
See demonstrable.
See demonstrative.
See deniable.
See derogatory.
See descendible.
See describable.
See desirable.
See desirous.
See despondent.
See devout.
See diaphanous.
See diligent.
See diminishable.
See discernible.
See disciplinable.
See discordant.
See discoverable.
See dissolvable.
See distinguishable.
See dividable.
See divine.
See domestic.
See doubtful.
[ 1913 Webster ]