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Competes vs Competent - What's the difference?

competes | competent |

As a verb competes

is (compete).

As an adjective competent is

competent (able).

competes

English

Verb

(head)
  • (compete)
  • ----

    compete

    English

    (Webster 1913)

    Verb

  • 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.
  • Usage notes

    A person will compete for'' a prize received for winning a competition. Two or more persons ''compete against'' one another if they are rivals. Two or more persons can ''compete with'' each other as teammates, however ''compete with'' is also used to indicate two persons ''competing against each other.

    Derived terms

    * competitor * competition * noncompete

    competent

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Having sufficient skill, knowledge, ability, or qualifications.
  • He is a competent skier and an expert snowboarder.
  • (legal) Having jurisdiction or authority over a particular issue or question.
  • For any disagreements arising from this contract, the competent court shall be the Springfield Circuit Court.
    judicial authority having competent jurisdiction
  • Adequate for the purpose
  • * 1662 , , Book II, A Collection of Several Philosophical Writings of Dr. Henry More, p. 67:
  • "For if [birds] had been Viviparous , the burthen of their womb, if they had brought forth any competent number at a time, had been so big and heavy, that their wings would have failed them "

    Quotations

    * "I believe in that myself because it has been explained by competent men as the convolutions of the grey matter." - James Joyce, Ulysses , 1922 * "That as a competent keyless citizen he had proceeded energetically from the unknown to the known through the incertitude of the void." - James Joyce, Ulysses , 1922