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

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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)

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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

Dan J. Sullivan, who has no political experience, filed as a challenger to the Republican incumbent, also named Dan Sullivan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

Collins, who is seeking her sixth term, entered the midterm cycle as one of the most vulnerable incumbent Republicans seeking re-election.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

Raman decided to challenge Councilmember David Ryu for reelection in 2020, becoming the first candidate in 17 years to unseat an incumbent City Council member.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

And maybe more importantly, while it’s kind of gross, it’s certainly legal, and as you said, the ballot clearly names the incumbent.

From Slate ● Oct. 31, 2026

Twice champion of the USSR, he’d won the 1958 Portorož Interzonal, becoming a front runner to play the incumbent titleholder, Mikhail Botvinnik, for the World Championship in 1960.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

This spells competition — and trouble — for the three incumbents, T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T, and shares in all of them have traded down sharply as a consequence.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026

In House races, at least 47 Republican incumbents were outraised by Democratic or independent challengers, according to Punchbowl News.

From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026

However, sentiment could turn against incumbents as investors adjust to the presence of a new entrant, Petti adds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

The accusations prompted the incumbents, including Rodriguez, to release their own video on the city’s Instagram account, reiterating the city’s response.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 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

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Related Words

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