English · Word Candidate

incompetent

/ɪnˈkɒmpətənt/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: incompetents

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Lacking the degree of ability and responsibility necessary to do a task successfully.

Adjective

Examples

Near-synonyms: incapable, inable, unable

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

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

Adjective

Examples

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

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

A person who is incompetent.

Noun

Examples

But besides these incompetents, there was always a train of camp followers, —women who followed the camp, beggars, and criminals, whose number was often greater than the number of fighting soldiers.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “incompetent” mean?

Lacking the degree of ability and responsibility necessary to do a task successfully.

Is “incompetent” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.