incompetent

English

Adjective

incompetent

1. Unskilled, lacking normally expected degree of ability.

   Having an incompetent lawyer may be grounds for a retrial, but the lawyer in question probably doesn't know that.

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

   The charged was judged incompetent to stand trial, at least until his medication started working.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:bad

Translations

unskilled, lacking normally expected degree of ability

• Dutch: incompetent (nl)
• Esperanto: nekompetenta (eo)
• Finnish: epäpätevä, taitamaton
• German: inkompetent (de), unfähig (de)

• Latin: inscitus (la)
• Russian: некомпетентный (ru) (nekompetentnij)
• Spanish: incompetente (es)

unable to make rational decisions, insane or otherwise cognitively impaired

• Finnish: kykenemätön, kyvytön, pystymätön, vajaavaltainen (fi)

Usage notes

The form incompetent of, as in "I am incompetent of doing anything!" is heard (US). It is incorrect, the intended word is incapable.

Noun

incompetent (plural incompetents)

1. A person who is incompetent.