Also 5 conpetent, 5–6 competente, 6 compu-, -po-, -pytent. [a. F. compétent ‘terme de droit’ (15th c. in Littré), and ad. L. competent-em suitable, fitting, proper, lawful, pr. pple. of competĕre in its neuter senses: see COMPETE v.1]
† 1. Suitable, fit, appropriate, proper. Obs. in general sense.
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 34. Euer bi oportunite, or conpetent acordauns, to be redi to fil it.
c. 1430. Lydg., Bochas, VI. i. (1554), 146 b. What maner torment … Wer competent, couenable, or condigne To him.
a. 1450. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 445. And to kepe hir fest in competent place be the alderman and maistres assigned.
1534. More, Passion, Wks. 1284/2. God in the creacion of man, gaue to hym two states: one, competent and conuenient for hys mortal nature.
1547. Boorde, Introd. Knowl., i. (1870), 127. Good vytales, good meate, wine, and competent Ale.
1667. N. Fairfax, in Phil. Trans., II. 549. A common Sudorifick … in competent time relieved him.
1791. Smeaton, Edystone L. (1793), § 192. Materials … very competent to our purpose.
2. Suitable to a person’s rank or position; suitable or sufficient for comfortable living. arch.
1440. Close Roll 23 Hen. VI. A competent annuite for lyff.
1463. Bury Wills (1850), 33. A competent bed with ij peyre shetys.
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 18. A competent liuing, and honestly had, makes such as are godlie both thankfull and glad.
1651. Nicholas Papers (1886), I. 242. To have a competent Joynter for her and estate for her children.
1667. E. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., I. III. x. (1743), 244. Officers … who have all competent salaries.
1865. Grote, Plato, I. iii. 128. Leaving a competent property.
1876. Digby, Real Prop., iii. § 1. 115. If she [a widow] depart from the castle, then a competent house shall be provided for her.
3. Suitable, adequate, or sufficient, in amount or extent.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., lxi. 257 (Harl. MS.). A semly yonge knygte … he wolle fiȝt for yow … yf ye wolle yeve to him competente salarye.
1491. Act 7 Hen. VII., c. 14. As muche therof … as shuld be competent or nedefull to the seid reparacion.
1571. Digges, Pantom., I. xxxv. L j b. Draw a streight line of competente length.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 108. Harmony requireth a competent distance of Notes.
1664. Evelyn, Pomona, vi. (1729), 68. A competent while before Christmas.
1791. Smeaton, Edystone L. (1793), § 272. A competent quantity being put down to the bottom of the hole.
1817. Jas. Mill, Brit. India, II. V. ix. 705. Mr. Pitt’s bill … being now supported by a competent majority, was passed into an act.
† b. Sufficient but not going beyond this: fair, moderate, reasonable, enough. Obs.
1535. J. Mason, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. II. 55. Vitaylls be of a competent pryce: all other things as cloth, lether, books, etc. be unresonable dere.
1581. Mulcaster, Positions, xxxiii. (1887), 120. Such as be newly recouered from sicknes … must content themselues with small and competent exercise.
1625. Bacon, Ess., Vicissitude (Arb.), 576. They grew to rest upon Number, rather Competent, then Vast.
1780. Harris, Philolog. Enq., Wks. (1841), 499. Greek was spoken with competent purity in Constantinople even to the fifteenth century.
4. Adequate or sufficient in quality or degree.
1597. Morley, Introd. Mus., 76. You haue giuen me a competent reason.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., VII. ii. § 4. Had brought their work to some competent perfection.
1683. Burnet, trans. More’s Utopia, Pref. 1. He that undertakes it, has a competent skill of the one Tongue, and is a Master of the other.
1691. Ray, Creation, I. (1704), 78. Necessary to define with competent certainty.
1798. Ld. Auckland, Corr. (1862), III. 387. Impossible to form any competent notion of what we are doing.
1817. Keatinge, Trav., I. 63. A model of this mountain … would supply infinitely the most competent idea of it.
5. Possessing the requisite qualifications for, or to; properly qualified. a. Of persons.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. (1843), 7/2. The King asked him only of the Journey … of which he might be a competent councellour.
1692. Bentley, Boyle Lect., iv. 128. A matter … allowed by all competent Judges.
1787. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), II. 207. The merchant … will be competent to this measure whenever he finds it a necessary one.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Ability, Wks. (Bohn), II. 41. If all the wealth in the planet should perish … they … know themselves competent to replace it.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. ii. 13. We engaged a strong and competent guide.
b. transf.
1660. Jer. Taylor, Duct. Dubit., I. ii. Religion is our competent guide.
1794. J. Hutton, Philos. Light, etc., 57. Our sight … is not always competent for determining the absolute want of light.
1878. Huxley, Physiogr., 127. A river is competent to effect its own purification unless overtaxed with pollution.
6. Law. Legally qualified or sufficient. a. Of a judge, court, etc.: Possessing jurisdiction or authority to act; b. Of a witness, evidence, etc.: Capable of being brought forward, admissible; c. Of a case, etc.: Within the jurisdiction of a court.
1483. Caxton, Cato, A viij. Make thy self redy for to answere before thy competent juge.
1536. Act 28 Hen. VIII., c. 14 § 6. Any competente courte, hauynge iurysdiction in the place.
1581. Lambarde, Eiren., III. ii. 345. Whereof the Justices of Peace bee competent Judges.
1643. 5 Years Jas. I., in Select. Harl. Misc. (1793), 310. Some few words touching the nature of the proofs, which in such a case are competent.
1708. J. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., II. II. vi. (1743), 389. The causes competent to the Admiralty Court of Scotland, are these among others.
1768–78. Blackstone, Comm., III. III. xxiii. (ed. 8), 369. All witnesses … except such as are infamous or such as are interested in the event of the cause … are competent witnesses.
1883. Law Rep., Q. Bench Div. XI. 597. It has been held … that … an action for damages was not competent against a supreme judge for a censure passed by him … on a counsel.
7. More generally. Of things, etc.: a. Belonging to as a rightful possession or property; proper, appertaining, due. b. Within one’s rights, legally or formally open or permissible. c. Admissible by rule, legitimate.
1614. Selden, Titles Hon., 118. Som abstracts are proper notes of Soueraigntie: as Maiestie which is now competent to none but supreme Princes.
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., II. i. § 10. That, perhaps, is the Privilege of the infinite Author and Preserver of things … but is not competent to any finite Being.
1765–9. Blackstone, Comm. It is not competent to the defendant to allege fraud in the plaintiff.
1794. Paley, Evid., III. ii. (1817), 286. I think that it is competent to the Christian apologist to return this answer.
1845. Stephen, Laws Eng., I. 104. Though it is competent to Parliament to legislate for the colonies.
1850. T. S. Baynes, New Anal. Logical Forms, 76. Throwing these out of account, together with some others having particular conclusions where universal are competent, there remain in all thirty-six valid moods. Ibid., Sir W. Hamilton Ibid., App. 154. In the notation of this Figure, we may of course arbitrarily make either of these orders to proceed from left to right, or from right to left; that is, two arrangements are competent.
† 8. Compatible, congruous with. Obs. rare.
a. 1670. Hacket, Abp. Williams, I. (1692), 138. ’Tis no more competent with obedience than light with darkness.
† 9. ? Requiring competence. Obs.
1720. Swift, Mod. Educ., Wks. 1755, II. II. 33. How … so great share in the most competent parts of publick management hath been … entrusted to commoners.
† 10. quasi-adv. In circumstances of competence.
1557. F. Seager, Sch. Vertue, in Babees Bk., 354. Ye that are poore, with your state be contente, Not hauinge wherwith to lyue competente.
† 11. quasi-sb. A competency. Obs.
1575. Brieff Disc. troub. Franckford, 156. Their are not paste 17 or 18 whiche haue competent ynoughe to liue vpon.
1614. Selden, Titles Hon., 235. An annuall summe and competent.
