Literary notes about competence (AI summary)
In literature, the term "competence" is multifaceted, ranging from an expression of technical ability and personal skill to a measure of financial adequacy and even legal capacity. It can connote an individual's mastery or proficiency in a field, as when a character’s quiet mastery lends them an air of assurance ([1], [2]), or when one's practical abilities are questioned in light of new challenges ([3], [4]). At the same time, "competence" frequently denotes a modest level of wealth sufficient for a secure living, reflecting on the social and economic standing of characters ([5], [6], [7], [8]). Moreover, the word is employed in contexts where it defines jurisdictional authority, as seen in debates over the legal power of institutions ([9], [10], [11]). This rich spectrum of meanings underscores how the term serves both as a marker of personal accomplishment and as an indicator of material stability in narrative discourse ([12], [13], [14]).
- but she had an air of great competence and composure.
— from Anne Severn and the Fieldings by May Sinclair - They stand confounded and agape before the universal competence of this wonder genius.
— from The Modern Regime, Volume 1 by Hippolyte Taine - But I confess that the more I thought of the matter the less assured I felt of my competence for the task.
— from Leaves in the Wind by A. G. (Alfred George) Gardiner - Sports constituted their own domains of competence and performance, and generate expectations of partial sport literacies.
— from The Civilization of Illiteracy by Mihai Nadin - This man was in the enjoyment of a handsome competence, and made painting his profession because he loved the art.
— from The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 07, No. 41, March, 1861 A Magazine of Literature, Art, and Politics by Various - He had nearly stripped himself of his own considerable means, reserving to himself only the bare competence on which a Catholic priest might live.
— from What I Remember, Volume 2 by Thomas Adolphus Trollope - Come, what is your competence?" "About eighteen hundred or two thousand a year; not more than THAT.
— from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - I have earned a competence of my own—enough to live on comfortably.
— from The Lion and the Mouse; a Story of an American Life by Arthur Hornblow - If it is not contested that a crime has really been committed, is it possible to contest the competence of the International Tribunal to judge it?
— from Trial of the Major War Criminals Before the International Military Tribunal, Nuremburg, 14 November 1945-1 October 1946, Volume 5 by Various - On the advice of the counsel defending him, he denied the competence of the court on the plea of autrefois acquit .
— from Old and New Paris: Its History, Its People, and Its Places, v. 1 by H. Sutherland (Henry Sutherland) Edwards - Gregory VI, however, gave the council cause to doubt its competence to judge him.
— from The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 05 (From Charlemagne to Frederick Barbarossa) - Reason's whole pleasure, all the joys of sense, Lie in three words,—health, peace, and competence.
— from The World's Best Poetry, Volume 10: Poetical Quotations - As for money, neglect it not, and, if you have a competence, enjoy it with a cheerful, thankful heart.
— from The World's Greatest Books — Volume 20 — Miscellaneous Literature and Index - His parents having by thrift and industry acquired a competence, they were able to render him all needed assistance.
— from The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan by Ellen Gould Harmon White
