competence

noun

1. (uncountable)The quality or state of being competent, i.e. able or suitable for a general role.

   “Teachers are now required to teach intercultural communicative competence.”

2. (countable)The quality or state of being able or suitable for a particular task; the quality or state of being competent for a particular task or skill.
3. (countable, uncountable)The system of linguistic knowledge possessed by native speakers of a language, as opposed to its actual use in concrete situations (performance), cf. linguistic competence.
4. (countable, dated, uncountable)A sustainable income.

   “Reason's whole pleasure, all the joys of sense, / Lie in three words — health, peace, and competence.”

   ““money can only give happiness where there is nothing else to give it. Beyond a competence, it can afford no real satisfaction, as far as mere self is concerned.””

   “A few years ago there lived in a city on the Mississippi a happy family, consisting of a husband, wife, and two children. They were in comfortable circumstances—he able to earn a competence—kind, affable, affectionate, […]”

5. (countable)the legal authority to deal with a matter.

   “The bill was denied royal assent because the Scottish Parliament does not have legislative competence on the bill's matter.”

   “K C Wheare's definition of federalism requires that two governments be independent and co-ordinate within their own spheres, generally set out by the division of competences codified in a constitution, which is supreme.”

   “Also, the Constitutional Court has tried to reduce impunity in cases of human rights abuses by narrowly interpreting the legal competence of military justice to investigate military and police officers.”

6. (countable, uncountable)The degree to which a rock is resistant to deformation or flow.