Incompetent vs Ignorant - What's the difference?
incompetent | ignorant |
Unskilled, lacking normally expected degree of ability.
Unable to make rational decisions, insane or otherwise cognitively impaired.
Unknowledgeable or uneducated; characterized by ignorance.
* Tillotson
* Dryden
(slang) Ill-mannered, crude.
(obsolete) unknown; undiscovered
* Shakespeare
* Shakespeare
Resulting from ignorance; foolish; silly.
* Shakespeare
As adjectives the difference between incompetent and ignorant
is that incompetent is unskilled, lacking normally expected degree of ability while ignorant is unknowledgeable or uneducated; characterized by ignorance.As a noun incompetent
is a person who is incompetent.incompetent
English
Adjective
(head)- Having an incompetent lawyer may be grounds for a retrial, but the lawyer in question probably doesn't know that.
- The charged was judged incompetent to stand trial, at least until his medication started working.
Synonyms
* See alsoUsage notes
The form incompetent of , as in "I am incompetent of doing anything!" is heard (US). It is incorrect, the intended word is incapable.ignorant
English
Alternative forms
* ignoraunt (obsolete)Adjective
(en-adj)- He that doth not know those things which are of use for him to know, is but an ignorant man, whatever he may know besides.
- Ignorant of guilt, I fear not shame.
- His manner was at best off-hand, at worst totally ignorant .
- ignorant concealment
- Alas, what ignorant sin have I committed?
- His shipping, / Poor ignorant baubles! — on our terrible seas, / Like eggshells moved.
