Meaning

adjective properly or sufficiently qualified or capable or efficient

adjective adequate for the purpose

adjective legally qualified or sufficient

originFrom Middle English competent, conpetent, from Old French competent (modern French compétent), from Latin competens, competentem, present participle of competō (“coincide, be equal to, be capable of”). Compare Dutch competent (“competent”), German kompetent (“competent”), Danish kompetent (“competent”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0