competente

Competente is an adjective used in several Romance languages, notably Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian, to denote having the necessary ability, knowledge, or authority to perform a task. It can describe a person, a professional, an organization, or an action that meets required standards.

Etymology: The word comes from Latin competens, the present participle of competere, from com- “together” and petere “to seek,” originally conveying the sense of fitting or suitable.

Usage in Spanish: In Spanish, competente describes someone skilled or an entity with proper jurisdiction. Examples: una persona competente, un juez competente. In legal and administrative language, phrases such as “jurisdicción competente” or “tribunal competente” refer to the proper authority.

Portuguese usage: In Brazilian Portuguese, competente marks ability and reliability, as in um profissional competente or um tribunal competente. The noun competência denotes competence or jurisdiction; the adjective agrees in gender and number with the noun (competente, competentes).

Italian usage: In Italian, competente is used similarly to mean capable or proficient, as in un professionista competente or una persona competente. The singular form is the same for masculine and feminine; the plural is competenti.

Notes: The term is widely used in education, employment, law, and professional regulation. While closely related to the English “competence” and the idea of capability, competente emphasizes both skill and legitimacy or authority in a given context.