All 6 Uses

competent
in
The Hunt for Red October
(Auto-generated)

James Greer was sixty-six, a naval officer past retirement age who kept working through brute competence, much as Hyman Rickover had, though Greer was a far easier man to work for.†
Chpt 4. *

competence = ability
On the other hand, Dallas is commanded by a fairly competent man who wouldn't be bothering us unless he really thought he had something.†
Chpt 7.

competent = sufficiently capable
A fine woman killed by a damned incompetent fool of a surgeon.†
Chpt 7.

incompetent = not sufficiently capable

standard prefix: The prefix "in-" in incompetent means not and reverses the meaning of competent. This is the same pattern you see in words like invisible, incomplete, and insecure.
Ramius and Melekhin were the two best teachers in the fleet, men whose crews appreciated their kindness along with their competence.†
Chpt 7.

competence = ability
Of course, the kind of person he is, maybe it's better that he's incompetent.†
Chpt 13.

incompetent = not sufficiently capable

standard prefix: The prefix "in-" in incompetent means not and reverses the meaning of competent. This is the same pattern you see in words like invisible, incomplete, and insecure.
Both men were competent officers, sharing a romantic attachment to their profession.†
Chpt 14.

competent = sufficiently capable

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.