Competence is the ability to perform some task. Incompetence is its opposite.

• Competence (biology), the ability of a cell to take up DNA
• Competence (human resources), a standardized requirement for an individual to properly perform a specific job
• Competence (law), the mental capacity of an individual to participate in legal proceedings
• Linguistic competence, the ability to speak and understand language in a grammatically correct manner

See also

• Competence-based management
• Core competency
• Four stages of competence
• Skill