All 5 Uses of
competent
in
Crime and Punishment, by Dostoyevsky
- They had heard already from Nastasya all that had been done for their Rodya during his illness, by this "very competent young man," as Pulcheria Alexandrovna Raskolnikov called him that evening in conversation with Dounia.†
Chpt 2.7competent = sufficiently capable
- He still made her uneasy, as though he was competent and good-natured, was he capable of carrying out his promise?†
Chpt 3.1 *
- "What a very competent and...devoted young man!" cried Pulcheria Alexandrovna exceedingly delighted.†
Chpt 3.1
- Razumihin opened the note which was dated the previous evening and read as follows: "Dear Madam, Pulcheria Alexandrovna, I have the honour to inform you that owing to unforeseen obstacles I was rendered unable to meet you at the railway station; I sent a very competent person with the same object in view.†
Chpt 3.2
- He is competent, hardworking, honest and capable of real love.... Good-bye, Dounia.†
Chpt 5.5
Definitions:
-
(1)
(competent) capable (able to do something in a generally satisfactory manner) -- sometimes specifically to have legal capability
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) In the field of law, competent has the specialized meaning of being legally qualified to do something such as to be mentally fit to make reasonable decisions; or to have jurisdiction or authority to take an action.
In classic literature, a competency can refer to having an income or assets to support living expenses.