Competences meaning : The quality or state of being competent, i.e. able or suitable for a general role. The quality or state of being able or suitable for a particular task; the quality or state of being competent for a particular task. The system of linguistic knowledge possessed by native speakers of a language, as opposed to its actual use in concrete situations (performance), cf. :w:linguistic competence. A sustainable income. The legal authority to deal with a matter. The degree to which a rock is resistant to deformation or flow.