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In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed... No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people. Preface to 1828 Dictionary
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INCOM'PETENT, a. [L. in and competens, competo. See Incompatible.]
Not competent; wanting in adequate
strength, power, capacity, means, qualifications, or the like;
incapable; unable; inadequate; unfit.
Incompetent to perform the duties of the place. Macaulay. Wanting the legal or
constitutional qualifications; inadmissible; as, a person professedly
wanting in religious belief is an incompetent witness in a
court of law or equity; incompetent evidence.
Richard III. had a resolution, out of hatred to his brethren, to disable their issues, upon false and incompetent pretexts, the one of attainder, the other of illegitimation. Bacon. Not lying within one's competency,
capacity, or authorized power; not permissible.
Syn. -- Incapable; unable; inadequate; insufficient; inefficient; disqualified; unfit; improper. -- Incompetent, Incapable. Incompetent is a relative term, denoting a want of the requisite qualifications for performing a given act, service, etc.; incapable is absolute in its meaning, denoting want of power, either natural or moral. We speak of a man as incompetent to a certain task, of an incompetent judge, etc. We say of an idiot that he is incapable of learning to read; and of a man distinguished for his honor, that he is incapable of a mean action. | ||||||||