INCOMPETENT

incapable, incompetent, unequal to

(adjective) not meeting requirements; “unequal to the demands put upon him”

incompetent

(adjective) not qualified or suited for a purpose; “an incompetent secret service”; “the filming was hopeless incompetent”

incompetent, unqualified

(adjective) legally not qualified or sufficient; “a wife is usually considered unqualified to testify against her husband”; “incompetent witnesses”

incompetent, unskilled

(adjective) not doing a good job; “incompetent at chess”

bungling, clumsy, fumbling, incompetent

(adjective) showing lack of skill or aptitude; “a bungling workman”; “did a clumsy job”; “his fumbling attempt to put up a shelf”

incompetent, incompetent person

(noun) someone who is not competent to take effective action

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Adjective

incompetent (comparative more incompetent, superlative most incompetent)

Unskilled; lacking the degree of ability that would normally be expected.

Synonym: inept

Unable to make rational decisions, insane or otherwise cognitively impaired.

(medical) Of the cervix: opening too early in pregnancy, provoking the baby to be born.

(geology) Not resistant to deformation or flow.

Synonyms

• See also bad

Noun

incompetent (plural incompetents)

A person who is incompetent.

Source: Wiktionary

In*com"pe*tent, a. Etym: [L. incompetens: cf. F. incompétent. See In- not, and Competent.]

1. Not competent; wanting in adequate strength, power, capacity, means, qualifications, or the like; incapable; unable; inadequate; unfit. Incompetent to perform the duties of the place. Macaulay.

2. (Law)

Definition: Wanting the legal or constitutional qualifications; inadmissible; as, a person professedly wanting in religious belief is an incompetent witness in a court of law or equity; incompetent evidence. Richard III. had a resolution, out of hatred to his brethren, to disable their issues, upon false and incompetent pretexts, the one of attainder, the other of illegitimation. Bacon.

3. Not lying within one's competency, capacity, or authorized power; not permissible.

Syn.

– Incapable; unable; inadequate; insufficient; inefficient; disqualified; unfit; improper.

– Incompetent, Incapable. Incompetent is a relative term, denoting a want of the requisite qualifications for performing a given act, service, etc.; incapable is absolute in its meaning, denoting want of power, either natural or moral. We speak of a man as incompetent to a certain task, of an incompetent judge, etc. We say of an idiot that he is incapable of learning to read; and of a man distinguished for his honor, that he is incapable of a mean action.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition