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View synonyms for

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 or upon ):

    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

/ ɪˈʌəԳ /

adjective

  1. formal.
    oftenpostpositive and foll by on or upon and an infinitive morally binding or necessary; obligatory

    it is incumbent on me to attend

  2. usuallypostpositive and foll by on resting or lying (on)
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a person who holds an office, esp a clergyman holding a benefice
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.
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Derived Forms

  • ˈܳԳٱ, adverb
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Other Word Forms

  • ·ܳbԳ· adverb
  • t-·ܳbԳ adjective noun
  • ԴDzi·ܳbԳ noun adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of incumbent1

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

Examples have not been reviewed.

"You are attending a religious ceremony and it's incumbent on you to participate as much as possible."

From

He added: "It's incumbent on the government to communicate clearly what this judgement does and does not say, and to combat that misinformation."

From

But it’s still unclear whether anyone will mount a serious challenge to an incumbent who still wields considerable clout.

From

When out of power, they rely on turning out their bases and the unpopularity of their incumbent opponents to squeak out narrow victories, only to squander power on fan service to their bases once elected.

From

A popular incumbent, Clinton published a book to accompany his campaign, “Between Hope and History: Meeting America’s Challenges for the 21st Century.”

From

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