incumbent
adjective
holding an indicated position, role, office, etc., currently.
incumbents
-
pluralof incumbent.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Older incumbents of all ideological stripes swept the state’s Democratic primaries Tuesday night.
From Slate ● Sep. 2, 2026
Kim Varet said her supporters have “obviously put a lot of thought into” which of the incumbents to support, but they have had a hard time swallowing the idea of voting for either.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
The analysis looks at candidates who have not held federal office before, meaning incumbents were excluded.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
Melat Kiros, a 29-year-old Democratic socialist, capitalized on the state’s leftward turn and voter dissatisfaction with incumbents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
When Faye came down from Sacramento and opened her house there was a flurry of animosity from the two incumbents.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
