Both Uses of
competent
in
A Room With A View
- He was the most competent of Miss Bartlett's opponents, but infinitely the least dangerous.†
Chpt 7 *competent = sufficiently capable
- The sun rose higher on its journey, guided, not by Phaethon, but by Apollo, competent, unswerving, divine.†
Chpt 15
Definitions:
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(1)
(competent) capable (able to do something in a generally satisfactory manner) -- sometimes specifically to have legal capability
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(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.