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Medical Definition of Mental competency
1. Ability to perform or accomplish an action or task that another person of similar background and training, or any human being, could reasonably be expected to perform. The term almost always refers to mental capacity. Incompetency refers to primarily defects in intellectual functioning such that comprehension of the nature of a transaction is interfered with or otherwise inadequate. It takes no note of temperament, emotions, or the like, even though these may interfere with a person's capacity to function. (12 Dec 1998)