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

That is not to say Clayton, who at 25 became the youngest state party chair in the country in 2023 when she ousted an establishment-backed incumbent, has not at times been disappointed.

From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026

She left that post in 2019 to run for City Council, challenging and then defeating one-term incumbent David Ryu.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Cornyn, the longtime incumbent, is a fundraising juggernaut and party stalwart who had never lost an election.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026

The analysts acknowledge the argument that incumbent banks should be able to harness new tech to streamline processes, redesign value chains, improve controls, and speed up decision making.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

He would have felt it incumbent on him to supply his granddaughter with clothes if she were indecently clad or if she were ragged or cold, but not to marry in.

From "Absalom, Absalom!" by William Faulkner

Republican incumbents Ken Calvert and Young Kim are facing off to keep their seats in Congress and represent California’s 40th District.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 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

That, Chandrasekaran suggested, could lead software incumbents to accede to client demands for shorter contract terms and pricing that is tied more directly to business goals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

The idea was that supersmart AI coding tools could replace corporate software at a fraction of the cost, leaving those incumbents in the dust.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 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