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

State newspaper editorials and former Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, the Democratic incumbent at the time, argued that the found ballots were suspicious and likely fraudulent.

From The Wall Street Journal

After months of lagging in the polls, the incumbent mayor dropped his bid in September but continued to work on the rent board.

From The Wall Street Journal

“You can’t expect the old or the existing incumbents to do a terrific job protecting AI.”

From The Wall Street Journal

He has also acknowledged that incumbent presidents and their parties often fare poorly in midterm elections, which will take place next year.

From BBC

Stifel analyst Brad Reback expects “a shift in investor sentiment towards the relative safety of incumbent tech given its highly recurring, stable, and very profitable, revenue bases and attractive relative valuations.”

From Barron's

Related Words

• occupant