n.
Pronunciation: ' käm-p ə -t ə n(t)s
Function: noun
Date: 1605
1 : a sufficiency of means for the necessities and conveniences of life <provided his family with a comfortable competence ― Rex Ingamells>
2 : the quality or state of being competent: as a : the properties of an embryonic field that enable it to respond in a characteristic manner to an organizer b : readiness of bacteria to undergo genetic transformation
3 : the knowledge that enables a person to speak and understand a language ― compare PERFORMANCE 6