Incompetent vs Incompetence - What's the difference?
incompetent | incompetence |
Unskilled, lacking normally expected degree of ability.
Unable to make rational decisions, insane or otherwise cognitively impaired.
Inability to perform; lack of competence; ineptitude.
* 1851:
* 1949:
* 1974:
As nouns the difference between incompetent and incompetence
is that incompetent is a person who is incompetent while incompetence is inability to perform; lack of competence; ineptitude.As an adjective incompetent
is unskilled, lacking normally expected degree of ability.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.incompetence
English
Noun
(-)- ... at the head of a crew, too, chiefly made up of mongrel renegades, and castaways, and cannibals--morally enfeebled also, by the incompetence of mere unaided virtue or right-mindedness in Starbuck
- Winston did not know why Withers had been disgraced. Perhaps it was for corruption or incompetence . Perhaps Big Brother was merely getting rid of a too-popular subordinate.
- The factory where she worked was a poisonous mass of incompetence , favoritism, and sabotage.
