compétentes

Compétentes is the feminine plural form of the French adjective compétent, meaning capable, qualified, or possessing the authority to perform a task. It is commonly used to describe entities such as institutions, bodies, or groups that have official power or jurisdiction. In legal and administrative contexts, the expression les autorités compétentes (the competent authorities) is a standard collocation indicating the body responsible for enforcing laws or making decisions within a given remit.

Grammatical notes: Compétentes agrees with feminine plural nouns. The related forms are compétent (masculine singular), compétente (feminine singular), and compétents (masculine plural). The noun compétence refers to either a person’s capability or to jurisdiction and authority.

Usage examples include: Les autorités compétentes doivent examiner la demande. Cette question relève des instances compétentes. In these contexts, compétentes emphasizes the authorized or appropriate nature of the party involved, rather than simply implying skill.

Translations and nuance: In English, compétentes is typically rendered as competent authorities when referring to bodies with official power, or as capable/qualified when describing a feminine plural subject. The term is primarily used in formal, bureaucratic, or legal language and should be distinguished from the noun compétence, which denotes competence or jurisdiction as a concept.