INCOMPETENT

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does incompetent mean? 

• INCOMPETENT (noun)
  The noun INCOMPETENT has 1 sense:

1. someone who is not competent to take effective action

  Familiarity information: INCOMPETENT used as a noun is very rare.

• INCOMPETENT (adjective)
  The adjective INCOMPETENT has 5 senses:

1. legally not qualified or sufficient

2. not qualified or suited for a purpose

3. showing lack of skill or aptitude

4. not doing a good job

5. not meeting requirements

  Familiarity information: INCOMPETENT used as an adjective is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INCOMPETENT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Someone who is not competent to take effective action

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

incompetent; incompetent person

Hypernyms ("incompetent" is a kind of...):

unskilled person (a person who lacks technical training)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "incompetent"):

blunderer; botcher; bumbler; bungler; butcher; fuckup; fumbler; sad sack; stumbler (someone who makes mistakes because of incompetence)

slouch (an incompetent person; usually used in negative constructions)

• INCOMPETENT (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Legally not qualified or sufficient

Synonyms:

incompetent; unqualified

Context example:

incompetent witnesses

Domain category:

jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)

Antonym:

competent (legally qualified or sufficient)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Not qualified or suited for a purpose

Context example:

the filming was hopeless incompetent

Similar:

feckless; inept (generally incompetent and ineffectual)

ineffective; inefficient (lacking the ability or skill to perform effectively; inadequate)

unworkmanlike (not characteristic of or suitable for a good workman)

Also:

inefficient (not producing desired results; wasteful)

unqualified (not meeting the proper standards and requirements and training)

unskilled (not having or showing or requiring special skill or proficiency)

Antonym:

competent (properly or sufficiently qualified or capable or efficient)

Derivation:

incompetence; incompetency (lack of physical or intellectual ability or qualifications)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Showing lack of skill or aptitude

Synonyms:

bungling; clumsy; fumbling; incompetent

Context example:

his fumbling attempt to put up a shelf

Similar:

unskilled (not having or showing or requiring special skill or proficiency)

Derivation:

incompetence; incompetency (lack of physical or intellectual ability or qualifications)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Not doing a good job

Synonyms:

incompetent; unskilled

Context example:

incompetent at chess

Similar:

bad (having undesirable or negative qualities)

Derivation:

incompetence; incompetency (lack of physical or intellectual ability or qualifications)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Not meeting requirements

Synonyms:

incapable; incompetent; unequal to

Context example:

unequal to the demands put upon him

Similar:

inadequate; unequal (lacking the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task)

Derivation:

incompetence (lack of physical or intellectual ability or qualifications)

 Context examples 

Fowlpox virus is an attractive vector because its genome is easy to manipulate and it is replication incompetent in mammalian cells.

(Fowlpox-PSA-TRICOM Vaccine, NCI Thesaurus)

A replication incompetent adenovirus encoding the human pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-12 (IL-12) (INXN-2001) in combination with the proprietary activator ligand INXN-1001, with potential immunomodulating and antineoplastic activities.

(Adenovirus-mediated Human Interleukin-12 INXN-2001 Plus Activator Ligand INXN-1001, NCI Thesaurus)

A replication-incompetent adenovirus encoding E. coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase (Ad/PNP) used as a prodrug activating agent.

(Adenovirus-Encoding E.coli PNP, NCI Thesaurus)

A replication incompetent adenovirus encoding human pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-12 (IL-12) (Ad.hIL-12), with potential immunomodulating and antineoplastic activities.

(Adenovirus-mediated Human Interleukin-12, NCI Thesaurus)

A replication incompetent adenoviral vector encoding the full-length tumor suppressor gene Reduced Expression in Immortalized Cells (REIC or DKK3) (ad-REIC/DKK3), with potential antineoplastic activity.

(Ad-REIC/DKK3 Vaccine, NCI Thesaurus)

A preparation of genetically modified autologous central memory (Tcm) enriched T-cells transduced with a replication incompetent lentiviral vector expressing a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), containing a CD28 signaling domain fused to both CD3 zeta, which targets the CD19 antigen, and a truncated form of the human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFRt), with potential immunostimulating and antineoplastic activities.

(Autologous CD19CAR-CD28-CD3zeta-EGFRt-expressing Tcm-enriched T Cells, NCI Thesaurus)

Genetically modified autologous T-lymphocytes transduced with a replication incompetent retroviral vector expressing a chimeric T cell antigen receptor (CAR) consisting of an anti-CD19 scFv (single chain variable fragment), fused to the extracellular, transmembrane and intracellular signaling domains of the T cell co-stimulatory receptor CD28 and the cytoplasmic signaling domain of the zeta chain of the TCR/CD3 complex (CD3-zeta) (CAR19-28z), with potential antineoplastic activities.

(Autologous CD19-28z Chimeric Antigen Receptor-expressing T-lymphocytes, NCI Thesaurus)

Autologous dendritic cells tranduced with a replication incompetent adenovirus encoding human pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-12 (IL-12) (INXN-3001) in combination with the proprietary orally bioavailable, small molecule activator ligand INXN-1001, with potential immunomodulating and antineoplastic activities.

(Adenoviral Transduced hIL-12-expressing Autologous Dendritic Cells INXN-3001 Plus Activator Ligand INXN-1001, NCI Thesaurus)

The little white attic, which had continued her sleeping-room ever since her first entering the family, proving incompetent to suggest any reply, she had recourse, as soon as she was dressed, to another apartment more spacious and more meet for walking about in and thinking, and of which she had now for some time been almost equally mistress.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)