Synonyms
Examples of incompetence in a Sentence
Because of his incompetence, we won't make our deadline.
She was fired for gross incompetence.
Recent Examples on the Web
There are currently no effective treatments for severe CVI of the deep vein system caused by valvular incompetence and the Company estimates that there are approximately 2.5 million new patients each year in the U.S. that could be candidates for the VenoValve.
—Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2024
Ukraine has virtually no navy of its own, but technological innovation, audacity and Russian incompetence have given it the upper hand in much of the Black Sea.
—Tim Lister and Victoria Butenko, CNN, 14 Feb. 2024
Israel can’t accept this, given the authority’s corruption, incompetence and unpopularity in Gaza and the West Bank.
—Seth Cropsey, WSJ, 26 Dec. 2023
But to other staff members, the mystery of West’s employment deepened as his incompetence became apparent to them.
—Robert Draper, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024
There are people who have known the president for years who would tell you Biden’s incompetence has nothing to do with his age.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 27 Jan. 2024
Maladministration, incompetence, and a blatant disregard for the American people’s wishes are notably absent from the list.
—Ken Buck, National Review, 14 Feb. 2024
She was incensed by the foolishness and incompetence of the men running the nation and believed that women were better suited to solve America’s problems.
—Jonathan W. White, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024
Matthew told me that one of the strangest aspects of their ordeal had been trying to determine whether the officials’ curious behavior reflected incompetence or something darker.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incompetence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1663, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to incompetence
Dictionary Entries Near incompetence
Cite this Entry
“Incompetence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incompetence. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.
Kids Definition
incompetence
noun
in·com·pe·tence
(ˈ)in-ˈkäm-pət-ən(t)s
: the quality, state, or fact of being incompetent
Medical Definition
incompetence
noun
in·com·pe·tence
(ˈ)in-ˈkäm-pət-ən(t)s
1
: lack of legal qualification
2
: inability of an organ or part to perform its function adequately
incompetence of an aortic valve
Legal Definition
incompetence
noun
in·com·pe·tence
in-ˈkäm-pə-təns
: the state or fact of being incompetent compare competency
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