Incompetent Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary

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class="search_btn"></button> </div> </div>   <link href="/dictionary/eb/css/entries/all.0007.css" type="text/css" rel="Stylesheet" charset="utf-8" /> <link href="/dictionary/eb/css/entries/definition.0025.css" type="text/css" rel="Stylesheet" charset="utf-8" />  <h1 id="ld_entries_v2_mainh" class="georgia_font box_sizing ld_xs_hidden"> incompetent</h1> <div id="ld_entries_v2_others_block" class="ld_xs_hidden box_sizing"> <div class = "o_count"> 2 ENTRIES FOUND: </div> <ul class="o_list verdana_font"> <li>   <a href="/dictionary/incompetent" class="selected">incompetent<span> (adjective)</span></a> </li> <li>   <a href="#ld_entry_v2_jumplink_incompetent_2" class="ld_entry_v2_jumplink">incompetent<span> (noun)</span></a> </li> </ul> </div> <div id="ld_entries_v2_all">   <div class="entry entry_v2 boxy">    <div class = "hw_d hw_0 boxy m_hidden">  <span class = "hw_txt gfont"> <sup class="homograph">1</sup> incompetent </span>   <span class = "hpron_word ifont">/瑟n<span class="smark">藞</span>k蓱藧mp蓹t蓹nt/</span> <a href = "#" class="fa fa-volume-up hpron_icon play_pron" data-word="incompetent" data-dir="i" data-file="incomp09" data-pron="瑟n藞k蓱藧mp蓹t蓹nt" data-lang="en_us"></a>  <span class="fl">adjective</span> </div>     <div class = "hw_m hw_0 boxy d_hidden">  <div class = "hw_line">  <span class = "hw_txt"> <sup class="homograph">1</sup> incompetent </span>   <a href = "#" class="fa fa-volume-up hpron_icon play_pron" data-word="incompetent" data-dir="i" data-file="incomp09" data-pron="瑟n藞k蓱藧mp蓹t蓹nt" data-lang="en_us"></a> </div>  <div class = "text_prons"> <span class = "hpron_word ifont">/瑟n<span class="smark">藞</span>k蓱藧mp蓹t蓹nt/</span> </div>  <div class="fl">adjective</div> </div>    <div class="dline m_hidden"> <span class="vfont">Britannica Dictionary definition of INCOMPETENT</span> </div>     <div class = "labels">   <span class = "gram">[<span class = "gram_internal">more incompetent; most incompetent</span>]</span>  </div>  <div class = "sblocks"> <div class = "sblock sblock_entry">  <div class="sblock_c">   <div class = "scnt">  <div class = "sblock_labels">         </div> <div class="sense">              <span class="bc">:</span>             <span class="def_text">not competent: such as</span>         </div> <div class="sense">  <strong class="sn_letter">a </strong>             <span class="bc">:</span>             <span class="def_text">lacking necessary ability or skills</span>                  <div class = "vis_w"> <ul class = "vis collapsed"> <li class = "vi"> <div class="vi_content">an <em class="mw_spm_it">incompetent</em> worker/doctor</div> </li> <li class = "vi"> <div class="vi_content">He is too <em class="mw_spm_it">incompetent</em> to be trusted with such an important responsibility.</div> </li> <li class = "vi"> <div class="vi_content">The patient is mentally <em class="mw_spm_it">incompetent</em>.</div> </li> </ul> <div class = "vi_more d_hidden"> <a href="#"> <span class="d_p">[+] more examples</span> <span class="d_m">[-] hide examples</span> <span class="m_p">[+] Example sentences</span> <span class="m_m">[-] Hide examples</span> </a> </div> </div>  </div> <div class="sense">  <strong class="sn_letter">b </strong>        <span class = "ssla">law</span>      <span class="bc">:</span>             <span class="def_text">not able to take part in a trial</span>                  <div class = "vis_w"> <ul class = "vis collapsed"> <li class = "vi"> <div class="vi_content">The defendant was declared <em class="mw_spm_it">incompetent</em> to stand trial.</div> </li> <li class = "vi"> <div class="vi_content">an <em class="mw_spm_it">incompetent</em> witness</div> </li> </ul> <div class = "vi_more d_hidden"> <a href="#"> <span class="d_p">[+] more examples</span> <span class="d_m">[-] hide examples</span> <span class="m_p">[+] Example sentences</span> <span class="m_m">[-] Hide examples</span> </a> </div> </div>  </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>     <div class = "uros"> <div class ="uro"> <div class="uro_line">  <h2 class = "ure" >— incompetently</h2>     <span class = "fl">adverb</span>     </div>  <div class = "uro_def"> <div class = "uro_def">      <div class = "vis_w"> <ul class = "vis collapsed"> <li class = "vi"> <div class="vi_content">The investigation was handled <em class="mw_spm_it">incompetently</em>.</div> </li> </ul> <div class = "vi_more d_hidden"> <a href="#"> <span class="d_p">[+] more examples</span> <span class="d_m">[-] hide examples</span> <span class="m_p">[+] Example sentences</span> <span class="m_m">[-] Hide examples</span> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>   </div>  <div class="entry entry_v2 boxy" id = 'ld_entry_v2_jumplink_incompetent_2'>    <div class = "hw_d hw_1 boxy m_hidden">  <span class = "hw_txt gfont"> <sup class="homograph">2</sup> incompetent </span>   <span class = "hpron_word ifont">/瑟n<span class="smark">藞</span>k蓱藧mp蓹t蓹nt/</span>  <span class="fl">noun</span> </div>   <div class = "hw_infs_d m_hidden">  <span class = "i_label">plural</span>  <span class = "i_text">incompetents</span>  </div>   <div class = "hw_m hw_1 boxy d_hidden">  <div class = "hw_line">  <span class = "hw_txt"> <sup class="homograph">2</sup> incompetent </span>   </div>  <div class = "text_prons"> <span class = "hpron_word ifont">/瑟n<span class="smark">藞</span>k蓱藧mp蓹t蓹nt/</span> </div>  <div class="fl">noun</div> </div>   <div class = "hw_infs_m d_hidden">  <span class = "i_label">plural</span>  <span class = "i_text">incompetents</span>  </div>  <div class="dline m_hidden"> <span class="vfont">Britannica Dictionary definition of INCOMPETENT</span> </div>     <div class = "labels">   <span class = "gram">[<span class = "gram_internal">count</span>]</span>  </div>  <div class = "sblocks"> <div class = "sblock sblock_entry">  <div class="sblock_c">   <div class = "scnt">  <div class = "sblock_labels">         </div> <div class="sense">              <span class="bc">:</span>             <span class="def_text">a person who is not able to do something well</span>         <span class="bc">:</span>             <span class="def_text">an incompetent person</span>                  <div class = "vis_w"> <ul class = "vis collapsed"> <li class = "vi"> <div class="vi_content">That department is full of <em class="mw_spm_it">incompetents</em>.</div> </li> </ul> <div class = "vi_more d_hidden"> <a href="#"> <span class="d_p">[+] more examples</span> <span class="d_m">[-] hide examples</span> <span class="m_p">[+] Example sentences</span> <span class="m_m">[-] Hide examples</span> </a> </div> </div>  </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>       </div> </div>  <script type="text/javascript"> var saveMe = false; var bestMatch = {"dict_type":"az","hw_text_no_syllables":"incompetent","eidNH":"incompetent","eid":"incompetent[1]","uid":"incompetent[1]_az","isv2":false,"hw_homograph":"1","fl":"adjective","search_type":"hw","search_value":"incompetent"}; require(['search'], function(search) { search.init(null, saveMe, bestMatch); }); 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