The quality or state of being competent, i.e. able or suitable for a general role. | The quality or state of being able or suitable for a particular task; the quality or state of being competent for a particular task or skill. | The system of linguistic knowledge possessed by native speakers of a language, as opposed to its actual use in concrete situations (performance), cf. linguistic competence. | A sustainable income. | the legal authority to deal with a matter. | The degree to which a rock is resistant to deformation or flow.