incumbent

[in-kuhm-buhnt]

adjective

1. holding an indicated position, role, office, etc., currently.

   the incumbent officers of the club.

2. obligatory (often followed by on orupon ).

   a duty incumbent upon me.

3. Archaic.,  resting, lying, leaning, or pressing on something.

   incumbent upon the cool grass.

noun

1. the holder of an office.

   The incumbent was challenged by a fusion candidate.

2. British.,  a person who holds an ecclesiastical benefice.

incumbent

/ ɪnˈkʌmbənt /

adjective

1. formal,  morally binding or necessary; obligatory

   it is incumbent on me to attend

2. resting or lying (on)

noun

1. a person who holds an office, esp a clergyman holding a benefice

incumbent

1. One who holds a public office. By virtue of their experience in office, their exposure to the public, and their ability to raise campaign funds, incumbents usually have a significant advantage over opponents if they choose to run for reelection.

Other Word Forms

• incumbently adverb
• anti-incumbent adjective
• nonincumbent noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of incumbent¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English (noun), from Latin incumbent-, stem of incumbēns “lying upon,” present participle of incumbere “to lie or lean upon,” equivalent to in- in- ² + -cumbere (variant combining form of cubāre “to lie down”; cubicle )

Word History and Origins

Origin of incumbent¹

C16: from Latin incumbere to lie upon, devote one's attention to, from _in- ² + -cumbere, related to Latin cubāre to lie down

Example Sentences

"I personally advised… that the incumbents would never embrace the positives of R360," he wrote.

Read more on BBC

The maps, historically drawn in smoke-filled backrooms, protected incumbents and created bizarrely shaped districts, such as the “ribbon of shame” along the California coast.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Upstart brands gained share then, and many incumbents turned to acquisitions to keep their product portfolios fresh.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

In fact, it made it worse by protecting incumbent broadcasters.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Internal Republican polling shows that, in a hypothetical match-up between Greene and the state’s incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, she would lose statewide by 18 points.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• occupant