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Definitions

incompetence

[in-kom-pi-tuhns] / ɪnˈkɒm pɪ təns /
NOUN
lack of ability
Synonyms


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The court can dismiss trustees and rescind POAs when there is evidence of incompetence, negligence or misuse of a position.

From MarketWatch • May 25, 2026

There’s plenty of furtive gags like this throughout “Up in Smoke”: police incompetence, absent parents, anti-war rhetoric and racial stereotypes that function as satire.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2026

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the situation was "not students' fault", and that many institutions had let them down "through either incompetence or abuse of the system".

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

“Many of these individuals are effectively prisoners of bureaucratic incompetence, inaction, and indecision, held in place not by law, but by a system that has failed to move.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

He told Ridgeway that his father had been touched that he came in person to apologize for his incompetence.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead




Vocabulary lists containing incompetence


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