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

/ ɪnˈkʌmbənt /

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)

noun

1. a person who holds an office, esp a clergyman holding a benefice

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.

Derived Forms

• inˈcumbently, adverb

Other Words From

• in·cumbent·ly adverb
• anti-in·cumbent adjective noun
• nonin·cumbent noun adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of incumbent¹

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 )

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 cubāre to lie down

Example Sentences

Four years later, at an unusual moment of national optimism, a whopping 62 percent expressed satisfaction—but George W. Bush beat incumbent Vice President Al Gore anyway.

From Salon

"This decision ignores the market realities, and will only serve to protect incumbent marketplaces from competition."

From BBC

Silver added that most incumbent parties are “unpopular” and tend to lose elections anyways.

From Salon

Those ballots could impact the 41st Congressional District, where Republican incumbent Rep. Ken Calvert holds a lead over Democratic challenger Will Rollins.

From Los Angeles Times

There are certainly many other factors to consider in unpacking what happened in the 2024 election, including that it was just one element in a global trend of incumbent losses.

From Salon