Do you know the meaning of incumbent? This article will provide you with all the information on incumbent from its definition to its usage and more!
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Kevin
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January 22, 2022
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What Does Incumbent Mean?
in·cum·bent | /ɪnˈkʌmbənt/
You may have seen the word incumbent in your local news article, but do you happen to know what it means?
The meaning of incumbent (as a noun) is simply a person that holds a specific position or office. Another definition tells us that the term incumbent can be defined as the person who is already in an elected office, such as ecclesiastical benefice.
That being said, incumbent can be used in sentences not only as a noun but as an adjective as well. Merriam-Webster also states that the definition of the adjective incumbent can be a few things (or rather have varying definitions):
- Stipulated as a duty: Mandatory. “It is incumbent on us to take action immediately.”
- If one is to have the status of an incumbent (e.g., occupying a specific office). “I was once the team’s incumbent first baseman, or I am now the incumbent senator of my small town.”
- To rest on a different object; leaning. resting, pressing, or lying on something else. “I was clearly incumbent upon the cool grass” or “the incumbent toe of a bird.”
Many different languages contain the word incumbent (in all of its various definitions). You may have even noticed that some of these look similar to one another.
When words and phrases sound the same but are in different languages, these are called cognates. Cognates likely have the same language of origin or root word, which causes these two words or phrases to sound the same.
A list is contained below of various translations for the term incumbent:
Incumbent – (mainly due to one’s office) an imposed obligation upon someone
- Czech: vyžadovaný (masc.)
- Portuguese: incumbência
- Romanian: obligatoriu (masc.), impus (masc.)
- German: obligatorisch, Pflicht, obliegend
- Finnish: asiaankuuluva, asiaan kuuluva, asianmukainen, tehtävän edellyttämä
- Italian: incombente, obbligatorio
- Turkish: yükümlü, ödevli, görevli
- Spanish: obligatorio
- Swedish: ansvarig, pliktig, pliktskyldig
Incumbent – reclining; resting; lying; recumbent.
- Finnish: makaava (lying), lepäävä (resting), nojaava (reclining)
- German: liegend, ruhend
Incumbent – in reference to the current holder of an office
- Catalan: titular
- Korean: 재임중인 (在任中인, jaeimjung-in)
- Persian: سر کار (sar-e kâr)
- Portuguese: titular (common)
- Dutch: zittend
- Italian: titolare, in carica
- Indonesian: yang berkuasa, yang menjabat, inkamben
- Finnish: istuva
- Romanian: titular (masc.), beneficiar (masc.)
- Serbo-Croatian: inkumbent
- Russian: де́йствующий
- Swedish: sittande
- German: amtierend
What Are the Origins of the Word Incumbent?
The origin of incumbent dates back to late Middle English 1375-1425, from Anglo-French, from Latin incumbent-, incumbens, present participle of incumbere or Latin incumbere meaning to lie down on, from in- + -cumbere to lie down.
During the 15th century, we first saw the English use of the word incumbent. At the time, it was referred to as someone who was a holder of a church position, a benefice, or a clergyman. Unless the individual was forced to leave office due to specific legal conflicts, this was often a lifelong appointment.
As time went on, around the middle of the 17th century, the definition of incumbent started to shift. It then began to refer not only to a position held in the church but anyone holding office; this could include elected officials.
Today incumbent typically refers to the current holder of a position during an election of that same position when referring to the modern political system in the United States.
Incumbent is also used as an adjective, with its most universal meanings being “involuntary” (“it is incumbent upon me yet again to help”) or “one that occupies a particular position” (“the incumbent judge”).
With incumbent originally derived from the Latin stem incumbent (Latin cubāre), meaning “to lie down on,” it came to English through Anglo-French.
What Are Synonyms and Antonyms of Incumbent?
There are varying words you can use in lieu of the word incumbent. If a word has the same or similar meaning to the original word, these are referred to as synonyms. Having knowledge of these synonyms can help you get a better hold of the English language. Below, you will find a list of synonyms:
- Compulsory
- Mandatory
- Necessary
- Required
- Pragmatic
- Forced
- Involuntary
- Requisite
- Prescribed
- De Rigueur
- Needed
- Indispensable
- Integral
- Current
- Existing
- Extant
- Immediate
- Regnant
- In Use
- Bearer
- Lodger
- Habitant
- Roomer
- Morally binding
- Reelection
If you are looking to expand your vocabulary of the English language, learning different antonyms can help you achieve this goal quickly. Antonyms are terms or words that have the opposite meaning of the original word or term. Below we have also included a list of antonyms:
- Optional
- Elective
- Voluntary
- Discretional
- Non Compulsory
- Up to the Individual
- Uncoerced
- Unneeded
- Autonomous
- Non-Requisite
- Uncritical
- Unconstrained
- Not Necessary
- Open to Choice
- Spontaneous
- Facultative
- Wilful
Conclusion
The term incumbent has many different meanings:
In the mid-17th century, the term came to refer to anyone holding an indicated position or any office, including elected positions and business leaders, such as chief executive officers (CEOs). The word also functions as an adjective with its most common referring to an individual “occupying a specified office” (“the incumbent mayor”).
For most political offices, the incumbent often has more name recognition due to their previous work in the office. That being said, if a new position is created, and no one has stepped in the role prior to the first election, there is no incumbent for the position.
In the business realm, an incumbent supplier is usually the supplier who currently supplies the needs of a customer, and therefore, has an advantageous position in relation to maintaining this role or agreeing to a new contract in comparison with competing businesses or a potential new supplier.
Additionally, an incumbent in business may also refer to a leader, specifically the leader of a company.
Lastly, incumbent can also be defined as lying or leaning on something; “an incumbent geological formation” geology — AKA, a science that deals with the history of the earth as recorded in rocks superjacent.
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