The purpose of this study is to examine the concept of competence by investigating various ways it has been defined and then to provide a framework for understanding the nature of competence as human ability. From various definitions of competence, this study drew four characteristics of competence as \'wholeness\', \'performacity/mobilization\', \'context-dependency\', and \'learnability\'. Along with the nature of competence, the concept of competence was compared against other concepts related to human ability: intelligence, skills, and performance. Several dimensions of the concept of competence were discussed in order to help in making a definition of competence according to different contexts in which the concept of competence will be used. Finally, this study suggests that the concept of competence be used in a way that the characteristics of competence can be fully actualized in
educational practices