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

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

• anti-incumbent adjective
• incumbently adverb
• nonincumbent noun

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”; cubicle )

Example Sentences

In his letter, Wilson requested the Board provide shareholders with details on how many incumbent directors will be retiring and when new candidates will be added.

From Barron's

After the incumbent Labour lawmaker quit, the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said he would stand as a candidate.

From The Wall Street Journal

“It remains very difficult to replicate or displace much of the knowledge, metadata and workflows incumbent systems have amassed,” analysts at Deutsche Bank wrote this week.

From The Wall Street Journal

He said at the time: "I think it's incumbent on all of us to try and drive to make the road safer."

From BBC

AI-native software start-ups, unburdened by the baggage of years of design decisions, can leapfrog incumbents with new ways of doing things.

From Barron's

Related Words

• occupant