Synonyms
Examples of incompetence in a Sentence
Because of his incompetence, we won't make our deadline.
She was fired for gross incompetence.
Recent Examples on the Web
The film gives us a heroic protagonist — Jae-hyeok, a young man who works at the plant — but its focus is on the political indifference, incompetence, and corruption that made this catastrophe possible, even inevitable, in the first place.
—
Megan Vick, EW.com, 28 Sep. 2024
That’s higher than pre-pandemic numbers, but the only good news is that 2023 was better than 2022, a record year for baggage incompetence.
—Larry Olmsted, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
Staying in a penthouse suite, Emmanuelle rates the Rosefield experience while keeping an eye on the icy Rosefield manager, Margot (Naomi Watts), whom Emmanuelle’s bosses suspect of incompetence.
—Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire, 22 Sep. 2024
Stuxnet used malware to covertly infiltrate and damage computer systems, making the incident look like incompetence rather than outright computer failure.
—Andi Shae Napier, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for incompetence 
Megan Vick, EW.com, 28 Sep. 2024
That’s higher than pre-pandemic numbers, but the only good news is that 2023 was better than 2022, a record year for baggage incompetence.
—Larry Olmsted, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
Staying in a penthouse suite, Emmanuelle rates the Rosefield experience while keeping an eye on the icy Rosefield manager, Margot (Naomi Watts), whom Emmanuelle’s bosses suspect of incompetence.
—Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire, 22 Sep. 2024
Stuxnet used malware to covertly infiltrate and damage computer systems, making the incident look like incompetence rather than outright computer failure.
—Andi Shae Napier, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for incompetence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incompetence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Incompetence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incompetence. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incompetence
noun
in·com·pe·tence
(ˈ)in-ˈkäm-pət-ən(t)s 
: the quality, state, or fact of being incompetent
Medical Definition
incompetence
noun
in·com·pe·tence
(ˈ)in-ˈkäm-pət-ən(t)s
1
: lack of legal qualification
2
: inability of an organ or part to perform its function adequately
incompetence of an aortic valve
Legal Definition
incompetence
noun
in·com·pe·tence
in-ˈkäm-pə-təns
: the state or fact of being incompetent compare competency
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