Word
incumbent
Phoneticsin·cum·bent, stress on the second syllable
US/ˌɪnˈkəmbənt/
UK/ɪnkˈʌmbənt/
Definitions
01current office holder
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. the person who currently holds a particular job or official position.
n. the current holder of an office or title, particularly in a political or ecclesiastical context.
“The incumbent president is expected to win the election easily.”
“The incumbent faced a difficult challenge from a younger candidate who promised to overhaul the city's aging infrastructure.”
Antonyms
02market leader
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Business Technical
n. a company that already has a strong position in a market.
n. a firm that has a dominant position in a market, often making it difficult for new competitors to enter.
“Small startups often struggle to compete with the large industry incumbents.”
“The regulatory changes were designed to reduce the power of market incumbents and encourage innovation from smaller firms.”
Synonyms
03necessary or obligatory
C1 · Advanced Formal
adj. used to say that it is someone's duty or responsibility to do something.
adj. imposed as a duty or obligation; typically used with 'on' or 'upon'.
“It is incumbent on us to help those who are less fortunate.”
“The judge stated that it was incumbent upon the prosecution to provide clear evidence of the defendant's intent.”
Usage
Usually follows the pattern 'it is incumbent on/upon [someone] to [do something]'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
04resting on something
C2 · Proficiency Science Technical · Literary
adj. leaning or resting on something else.
adj. lying, leaning, or resting on something else; in botany, describes an organ that rests against another.
“The heavy branches were incumbent upon the roof of the old shed.”
“The botanist noted that the incumbent radicle was pressed firmly against the side of the cotyledons.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Nixon’s supporters had pointed to one poll suggesting that she would perform better against Moody in November than Vindman, though that poll projected the Republican incumbent would win against either Democrat.” “In 2018 she beat 10-term incumbent congressman Joe Crowley, a member of the Democratic leadership and potential future speaker, in a New York primary.” “Others included incumbent premier Li Qiang and ex-president Hu Jintao.” Etymology
From Latin incumbentem + English -ent (suffix denoting the causing, doing, or promoting of an action). Incumbentem is the accusative singular of incumbēns (“reclining”), the present active participle of incumbō (“to lay upon, to lean or recline on; to fall upon, to press down on”), from in- (prefix meaning ‘against; into; on, upon’) + cumbō (“to lie down, recline”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱewb-).
From Middle English incumbent, encumbent (“holder of an ecclesiastical benefice, dean, parson, etc.; cleric (?)”), from Medieval Latin incumbēns (“holder of a church position”) + Middle English -ent (suffix denoting one that causes, does, or promotes an action). Incumbēns is derived from Medieval Latin incumbō (“to obtain; to possess”), from Latin incumbō (“to lay upon, to lean or recline on; to fall upon, to press down on”): see etymology 1.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/incumbent