Reverse Dictionary: COMPETENCE

ADJECTIVES
1385 — SUFFICIENT competent, capable, able; qualified by talent or ability → obs.
1385 — SUFFISANT competent, able, capable → obs.
1425 — HABILE competent to do something; fitted, suited; fit, suitable → obs., chiefly Sc.
1598 — TIGHT competent, capable, able, skilful; alert, smart; lively, vigorous, stout → obs. exc. Eng. dial.
1638 — RIGHT mentally healthy; sane; competent to think and act
1827 — OMNICOMPETENT competent or having jurisdiction in all causes 
1866 — SMART competent, industrious, diligent; energetic and effective in working → Amer. dial.
1885 — UP TO THE SCRATCH thoroughly competent, capable → Eng. dial.
1899 — LIKELY competent, able-bodied, capable → Amer. dial.
..L19 — ABLE TO KICK THE EYE OUT OF A MOSQUITO supremely competent → sl., orig. US
1900 — FECKT competent, capable, sane → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1930 — DARB highly competent; unusually skilled or able; excellent, great → US sl.
1938 — READY fully competent, excellent, first-rate, mature; esp. used of musicians → US sl.
1967 — ON THE KINIPOPO competent, alert, intelligent → Hawaii
1992 — COLD-BLOODED competent, admirable → US sl.
1992 — SCANDALOUS extremely competent → US sl.

ADVERBS
1340 — SUFFISANTLY competently, sufficiently, adequately → obs.
1737 — HABILY competently, properly → Sc. obs.

NOUNS
1374 — OPPORTUNITY competence, fitness, aptitude → obs.
1382 — SUFFICIENCE competence, capacity; ability → obs.
1392 — SUFFISANCE competence, ability → obs.
1461 — SUFFICIENTY competence, ability → obs.
1567 — SUFFICIENCY competence, adequate qualification; ability → obs.
1859 — SMARTNESS competence, diligence → Amer. dial., esp. African-American
1900 — OMNICOMPETENCE competence in all causes 

NOUNS, PERSON
1606 — GENERALIST a person competent in a number of different fields; a jack-of-all-trades 
1607 — SUFFICIENCE a competent or capable person → obs.
1836 — CRACK HAND a competent, able person → sl.
1840 — COOL HAND a competent, cool, calm, and controlled individual → US sl.
1896 — JOHNNY-ON-THE-SPOT a competent and enthusiastic person; one who is ready and willing to undertake the task at hand → Amer. dial.
1904 — THE GOODS a person who is competent and genuine → US sl.
1940 — COOL CAT a competent, sophisticated, unruffled, able person → sl., chiefly African-American
1951 — HACKER an especially competent person → US military sl.
1971 — BARNBURNER a highly competent person; an expert → US sl.

PHRASES
1623 — BEYOND ONE’S DEPTH beyond the range of one’s competence or understanding 
1712 — OUT OF ONE’S DEPTH beyond the range of one’s competence or understanding 
1967 — SORT OUT THE MEN FROM THE BOYS distinguish which people in a group are truly competent, mature, or manly → colloq.

VERBS
1325 — SUFFICE to be competent or able to do something → obs.
1530 — HABILLE to make or pronounce competent; to enable, to qualify → obs.
1553 — KNOW WHAT’S WHAT to be competent, knowledgeable, worldly 
1693 — SUFFICIENTIZE to make competent, to enable → obs.
1792 — KNOW A THING OR TWO to be competent, or have a thorough knowledge of one’s subject → sl.
1885 — FILL THE BILL to be very competent or effective → sl.
1897 — KNOW THE TIME OF DAY to be competent or worldly → sl.
1900 — EAT UP to act competently; to deal with efficiently → sl.
1922 — KNOW ONE’S ONIONS to be competent, or have a thorough knowledge of one’s subject → sl.