omnicompetent

English

Etymology

From omni- +‎ competent.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌɒmniˈkɒmpɪtənt/

Adjective

omnicompetent (not comparable)

1. Competent in every area; (specifically) having formal jurisdiction in all matters. [from 19th c.]
   • 1922, Niles Carpenter, Guild Socialism: An Historical and Critical Analysis, New York, London: D. Appleton and Co., →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 273:

     The omnicompetent state admittedly works badly at times, but it does work, which is more than the impotent "commune" would be likely to do.

   • 1942 March, Leon Weaver, “How Valid is Public Opinion?”, in Social Forces, volume 20, number 3, →ISSN, →JSTOR, pages 341–344:

     Are the judgments of public opinion inevitably "right" or even relatively wise, or are they merely the resultants of the delusions, prejudices, and inadequacies of the supposedly omnicompetent citizen exercising his "right divine of the ignorant to govern wrong"?

   • 1962 April, Elliot R. Goodman, “Reflections on the New Soviet Party Program”, in Russian Review, volume 21, number 2, →ISSN, →JSTOR, pages 109–120:

     Soon after the Bolshevik Revolution, the image of the future omnicompetent, endlessly mobile man was restated by Bukharin and Preobrazhensky in their political primer, The ABC of Communism.

   • 1990, Lee Hardy, The Fabric of This World: Inquiries into Calling, Career Choice, and the Design of Human Work, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 166:

     Granted, management is not omnicompetent; that is why it must rely on the expertise of the workers. But neither are the workers omnicompetent.

   • 1998 June, Glenn W., Jr. Richardson, “Building a Better Ad Watch: Talking Patterns to the American Voter”, in The International Journal of Press/Politics, volume 3, number 3, →DOI, pages 76–95:

     To Lippmann, democratic theory presented an idealized vision of omnicompetent citizens capable of making informed decisions leading to wise laws and good government, a condition that plainly did not obtain.

Related terms

• omnicompetence
• omnicompetency