incumbent

American  

[in-kuhm-buhnt] / ɪnˈkʌm bənt /

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.

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noun

• incumbents
  plural

1. the holder of an office.

   The incumbent was challenged by a fusion candidate.

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

incumbent British  

/ ɪnˈkʌmbənt /

adjective

1. formal morally binding or necessary; obligatory

   it is incumbent on me to attend

2. resting or lying (on)

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noun

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

incumbent Cultural  

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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonincumbent
  noun
• anti-incumbent
  adjective
• incumbently
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• incumbents
  plural

Etymology

Origin of incumbent

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”; see cubicle)

Explanation

An incumbent is an official who holds an office. If you want to run for congress, you're going to have to beat the incumbent. Incumbent comes from the Latin word incumbens, which means "lying in" or "leaning on," but came to mean "holding a position." It was first used in English for someone holding a church office, and then someone holding any office. You'll most likely hear it today for political officials. In a race for mayor, the incumbent mayor faces a challenger. Incumbent also means "required by obligation." It is incumbent upon you to do the dishes.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

incumbent incumbents

Ackman, with Israel, brushed aside worries around a stablecoin threat, saying crypto is growing in places where cards aren’t incumbent.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

During a 1980 debate against the incumbent Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan famously asked voters if they were better off now than they were four years ago.

From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026

Newly minted incumbent Darline Graham, the sister of Lindsey, was appointed to the seat initially as a placeholder.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

He became the latest party House incumbent to be ousted in the primaries.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

Over her nurse’s scrubs, Mrs. Montgomery is wearing a sweatshirt with the incumbent county executive's name on it.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

The takeaway for telecom investors: SpaceX’s threat to broadband and wireless incumbents “could remain an overhang on the sector for years rather than quarters,” Bernstein analysts said in a research note.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 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

For Chinese companies trying to overtake American incumbents, releasing model weights earns trust, wins developers and makes their technology the default foundation for new applications.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

Many of these winning candidates have unseated entrenched incumbents, as 29-year-old Colorado attorney Melat Kiros did to U.S.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 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

Related Words

• occupant