Vocapedia
Log inTry for Free

Looking up...

Explore

  • Words of the Year
  • Recent Lookups
  • Community Collections
  • How to Say

Dictionaries

  • English
  • Vietnamese
  • Japanese
  • Chinese
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Korean
  • German
  • Hindi
  • Italian

MY LEARNING

  • My Dictionary
  • My Collections
  • Reviews

Resources

  • Learning Resources
  • How It Works
  • Study Guides
  • Language Tips
  • FAQ
  • Getting Started
  • For Individuals
  • For Teachers

Community

  • Forum
  • Blog
  • Help Center
  • Partnerships

About

  • About Vocapedia
  • Contact Us
  • Feedback

Legal

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility
  • GDPR Compliance
© 2026 Vocapedia. All rights reserved.
  1. Home /
  2. Dizionari /
  3. English Dictionary /
  4. lack of competence

lack of competence

/ˈlæk əv kəmˈpɛtəns/
inadequate skill or ability

The project failed due to the team's lack of competence.

The team didn't have the necessary skills to complete the project successfully.


formal

Insufficient skill, knowledge, or ability to perform a task or role effectively.

The company faced criticism for the lack of competence in its leadership team.

The leadership team was criticized for not having the necessary skills to manage the company well.

Her lack of competence in public speaking made the presentation awkward.

She struggled with public speaking, making the presentation uncomfortable to watch.

This phrase is often used in professional or formal contexts to describe a deficiency in skills or abilities.

Collocations

demonstrate a lack of competenceto show insufficient skill or abilitylack of competence ininadequate skill in a specific area

Synonyms

incompetenceineptitudeinabilityinefficiency

Antonyms

competenceskillproficiencyexpertise

Related Phrases

lack of confidencephrase
inadequate self-assurance
lack of experiencephrase
insufficient practical knowledge

Pro Tip

Formal Context

Use this phrase in professional or formal settings to describe a deficiency in skills or abilities.

Gold Rule

Avoid Overuse

Be mindful of the tone when using this phrase, as it can be perceived as harsh or critical.

Word Origin

Derived from the combination of 'lack' (absence of something) and 'competence' (ability to do something well).

Usage Notes

This phrase is often used in professional or formal contexts to describe a deficiency in skills or abilities. It can be perceived as critical, so it should be used carefully in sensitive situations.

Word Breakdown

lack
absence of something
root
+
of
belonging to or associated with
preposition
+
competence
ability to do something well
root
English Dictionary
Esplora altre parole English→English →

Progresso di Apprendimento

Monitora il tuo percorso di apprendimento!

• Salva parole per costruire il tuo vocabolario

• Monitora la tua serie giornaliera

• Ricevi promemoria di revisione personalizzati

• Vedi le statistiche delle parole imparate

Accedi per sbloccare funzionalità avanzate e monitorare i tuoi progressi!

Vai alla Dashboard →

Parole dell'Anno

Le parole più notevoli che hanno definito ogni anno. Scopri il vocabolario che ha plasmato il nostro mondo.