Ability
Ability noun - The physical or mental power to do something.
Usage example: as a result of the accident the once-vigorous athlete lost the ability to walk
Competency is a synonym for ability in perform topic. In some cases you can use "Competency" instead a noun "Ability", when it comes to topics like capability, competence. popular alternative
Nearby Word: able
Competency
Competency noun - The physical or mental power to do something.
Usage example: she's proved that she has the competency to run a major company
Ability is a synonym for competency. You can use "Ability" instead a noun "Competency". popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
Both words in one sentence
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Competency in a task is linked to your ability to judge your ability at said task; thus, incompetent people, with no training in the task, will consider themselves to be vastly more competent than they actually are.
Source: You Cannot Grasp the True Form -
He's still recovering from the sinking of his previous ship and his ability is questioned by his underlings, but he shows his competency as a destroyer escort commander early on.
Source: Film / The Enemy Below - However they end up evil, try to take over, succeed, and have to be taken out by pairs of hero/sidekick pairs of roughly equal ability or the more typical competency ratios.
Cite this Source
Competency and Ability. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/ability/competency
Ability & Competency. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/ability/competency>.
Competency or Ability. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/ability/competency.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "ability" and "competency" have occurred on timeline