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The Religious History of Incumbent
When incumbent was first used in English in the 15th century, it referred to someone who occupied a benefice—a paid position in a church. This was often a lifetime appointment; the person could only be forced to leave the office in the case of certain specific legal conflicts. In the mid-17th century, incumbent came to refer to anyone holding any office, including elected positions. In the modern American political system, incumbent typically refers to someone who is the current holder of a position during an election for that position. The word also functions as an adjective with its most common meanings being "occupying a specified office" ("the incumbent mayor") and "obligatory" ("it is incumbent upon us to help"). Incumbent came to English through Anglo-French and derives from the Latin incumbere, meaning "to lie down on."
Synonyms
Examples of incumbent in a Sentence
Terry McCarthy, Time, 20 Dec. 2004
When Reagan and Clinton were seeking re-election, they didn't go after their opponents directly, in part because they didn't have to. Those incumbents knew that there's a point at which strong and tough can look weak and desperate.
—Jonathan Alter, Newsweek, 9 Aug. 2004
Jane Austen was born into the downwardly mobile branch of an upper-middle-class family. … None of the Austen children could inherit the family home from their father, a Church of England clergyman; after his death it would go to the next incumbent.
—Kevin Barry, New York Times Book Review, 7 Dec. 1997
Voters will have the chance to see the incumbent and her opponent in a series of three debates.
Incumbents often have an advantage in elections.
Adjective
It is incumbent upon the press to act not in its own best interests, but in society's best interests.
—Carll Tucker, Saturday Review, 23 June 1979
… the various types of obligation incumbent on the members of the profession.
—R. M. MacIver, Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, January 1955
… Mr. Lorry felt it incumbent on him to speak a word or two of reassurance.
—Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, 1859
it is incumbent upon you to attend every staff meeting
David Sivak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 6 Feb. 2025
And, among Democratic strategists, there is a not-even-subtle chatter about recruiting candidates for districts laden with federal workers, including four where Republican incumbents have more than 25,000 feds underfoot.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 4 Feb. 2025
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025
Craig’s opponent, incumbent Republican Jason Lewis, spent $1.9 million.
—Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for incumbent 
Dictionary Entries Near incumbent
Cite this Entry
“Incumbent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incumbent. Accessed 17 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incumbent
1 of 2 noun
incumbent
2 of 2 adjective
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