incumbent

comparative more incumbent · superlative most incumbent

1. Chiefly followed by on or upon: leaning, or lying, reclining, or resting, on something else.

   Then with expanded wings he ſtears his flight / Aloft, incumbent on the dusky Air / That felt unuſual weight, […]

   1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 225–227

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   [I]f the great Doore, be Arched, vvith ſome braue Head, cut in fine Stone or Marble for the Key of the Arch, and tvvo Incumbent Figures gracefully leaning vpon it, tovvards one another, as if they meant to conferre; I ſhould thinke this a ſufficient entertainement, for the firſt Reception, of any Iudicious Sight, […]

   1624, Henry Wotton, The Elements of Architecture, […], London: […] Iohn Bill, →OCLC, II. part, page 103

   [U]pon the tops of high Mountains, the Air vvhich bears againſt the reſtagnant Quick-ſilver, is leſs preſſ'd by the leſs ponderous incumbent Air; and conſequently is not able totally to hinder the deſcent of ſo tall and heavy a Cylinder of Quick-ſilver, as at the bottom of ſuch Mountains did but maintain an Æquilibrium vvith the incumbent Atmoſphere.

   1659 December 30 (date written), Robert Boyle, “[Experiment 1]”, in New Experiments Physico-Mechanicall, Touching the Spring of the Air, and Its Effects […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] H[enry] Hall, printer to the University, for Tho[mas] Robinson, published 1660, →OCLC, page 33

   Here, as ’tis ſaid, the Rebel Giants lye, / And vvhen to move th’incumbent Load they try, / Aſcending Vapours on the Day prevail, / The Sun looks ſickly, and the Skie grovv pale.

   1705, J[oseph] Addison, “The Antiquities and Natural Curiosities that Lye near the City of Naples”, in Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c. in the Years 1701, 1702, 1703, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 249

   And, rising from his incumbent posture, he sought to force the end of the weed [a cigar] between the teeth of the dog.

   1853, Pisistratus Caxton [pseudonym; Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter IV, in “My Novel”; Or Varieties in English Life […], volume II, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book fifth, page 19

   Synonyms: recumbent

   1. biologyOf an anther: lying on the inner side of the filament; also, of a cotyledon: having its back lying against the radicle.

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      [T]he anther either looks inwards or outwards. When it is turned inwards, or is fixed to that side of the filament which looks towards the pistil or centre of the flower, the anther is incumbent or intorse, as in Magnolia and the Water-Lily. When turned outwards, or fixed to the outer side of the filament, it is extorse, as in the Tulip-tree.

      1857, Asa Gray, “Lesson XVII. Morphology of the Stamens.”, in First Lessons in Botany and Vegetable Physiology, […], New York, N.Y.: Ivison & Phinney and G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam & Co., […], →OCLC, paragraph 293, page 113

      Synonyms: recumbent, notorhizal

   2. biologyOf a body part such as a hair, spine, or wing: bent downwards or otherwise positioned so that it, or part of it, rests on or touches something else; specifically (ornithology), of the hind toe of a bird: fully resting on a support.

      the incumbent toe of a bird

      Synonyms: recumbent

2. figurativelyBeing the current holder of an office or a title; specifically (Christianity, obsolete), of an ecclesiastical benefice.

   If the incumbent senator dies, he is replaced by a person appointed by the governor.

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   But whether parishes,—as usually understood for places bounded in regard of the profits from the people therein, payable only to a pastor incumbent there;—I say, whether such parishes were extant in this age, may well be questioned, as inconsistent with the community of ecclesiastic profits, which then seemed jointly enjoyed by the bishop and his clergy.

   1655, Thomas Fuller, “Section II. The Seventh Century.”, in The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI), subsection 68 (England Divided into Parishes. A.D. 637.), page 120

   Analysts said that, while China sought to wield political influence in Vancouver, whatever role it played was unlikely to have swung the vote. ¶ Kennedy Stewart, the incumbent mayor and Mr. [Ken] Sim's left-wing rival, agreed. "Chinese interference isn't the primary reason I lost," he said. "But it may have been a contributing factor." He received 29 percent of the vote to Mr. Sim's 51 percent.

   2023 May 7, Dan Bilefsky, “Did China Help Vancouver's Mayor Win Election?”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 04 Jun 2023

   Sunday's results confirmed that Uruguay had followed a global trend of incumbent parties losing vote share compared with the previous election, as the biggest year for elections in history comes to an end.

   2024 November 25, Reuters, “Uruguay election: opposition centre-left figure Yamandu Orsi wins presidential runoff”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 28 Nov 2024

3. figurativelyOppressive, pressuring.

   The North muſt again have been alarmed, and agitated, by the invaſion of the Huns; and the nations vvho retreated before them, muſt have preſſed vvith incumbent vveight on the confines of Germany.

   1781, Edward Gibbon, chapter XXX, in The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume III, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, page 161

4. figurativelyFollowed by on or upon: imposed on one as an obligation, especially due to one's office or position.

   Proper behaviour is incumbent on all holders of positions of trust.

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   Certainly all men truly Zelous, vvill moſt induſtriously endeavor to perform the first kind of good VVorks alvvaies; thoſe, I mean, that are incumbent on all Christians.

   1679 January 2 (Gregorian calendar), Thomas Sprat, A Sermon Preached before the King at White-hall December the 22. 1678, [London]: […] S. R. for Henry Brome, →OCLC, page 32

   But, as for ſolid, corporeal Subſtances, I deſire you to ſhevv vvhere Moſes makes any mention of them; and, if they ſhou'd be mentioned by him, or any other inſpired VVriter, it vvou'd ſtill be incumbent on you to ſhevv, thoſe VVords vvere not taken in the vulgar Acceptation, or an unknovvn Quiddity, vvith an abſolute Exiſtence.

   1713, George Berkeley, “The Third Dialogue”, in Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous. […], London: […] G[eorge] James, for Henry Clements, […], →OCLC, page 144

   He begged Mrs. Tope's pardon when she found it incumbent on her to correct him in every detail of his summary of the facts, but pleaded that he was merely a single buffer getting through life upon his means as idly as he could, and that so many people were so constantly making away with so many other people, as to render it difficult for a buffer of an easy temper to preserve the circumstances of the several cases unmixed in his mind.

   1870 April–September, Charles Dickens, “A Settler in Cloisterham”, in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1870, →OCLC, page 143

   When the fires finally come for Whistler, the evacuation process will be hectic, to put it lightly. It is incumbent upon all of us to ensure we're well prepared.

   2023 August 25, Braden Dupuis, “Opinion: The things we leave behind”, in Pique Newsmagazine, Whistler, B.C.: Glacier Media Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 Sep 2023

   While it's incumbent on Congress to act, Zimmern told guests on Monday night that everyone can play a part. He encouraged seeing hunger firsthand by volunteering at shelters and talking about it to keep the issue at the forefront as a matter of "moral urgency.".

   2023 September 19, Solcyre Burga, “'We Can Do It': Celebrity Chef Andrew Zimmern on Finding the Will to Solve Hunger”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 Sep 2023

5. figurativelypoeticHanging or leaning over.

   [T]he ſpreading beech, that o'er the ſtream / Incumbent hung, […]

   a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Summer”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC, page 97, lines 1362–1363

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   Hath the cleft Centre open'd vvide to Thee? / Death's inmoſt Chambers didſt Thou ever ſee? / E'er knock at his tremendous Gate, and vvade / To the black Portal thro' th' incumbent Shade?

   1719, E[dward] Young, A Paraphrase on Part of the Book of Job, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 6

   [M]any a rock, / Hurled by primæval earthquake shock / From Benvenue's grey summit wild, / And here, in random ruin piled, / They frowned incumbent o'er the spot, / And formed the rugged sylvan grot.

   1810, Walter Scott, “Canto III. The Gathering.”, in The Lady of the Lake; […], Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for John Ballantyne and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, and William Miller, →OCLC, stanza XXVI, page 132

   Swift as an arrow in its flight / The Ship shot through the incumbent night; […]

   1810, Robert Southey, “The World’s End”, in The Curse of Kehama, London: […] [F]or Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […], by James Ballantyne and Co. […], →OCLC, page 219

6. figurativelyobsoletePutting much effort into an activity or some work.

   And lovve menne ſpiritually are ſuche, as are incumbente and dooe reſt on filthy or vile and tranſitory thynges.

   1549 February 10 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1548), Erasmus, “The Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Ghospell of S. Luke. The .xix. Chapter.”, in Nicolas Udall [i.e., Nicholas Udall], transl., The First Tome or Volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testamente, London: […] Edwarde Whitchurche, →OCLC, folio cxlix, recto

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   [H]e foresaw not that he was losing for ever the opportunity of acquiring habits of firm and incumbent application, of gaining the art of controuling, directing, and concentrating the powers of his own mind for earnest investigation,—an art far more essential than even that learning which is the primary object of study.

   1814 July 7, [Walter Scott], “Education”, in Waverley; or, ’Tis Sixty Years Since. […], 2nd edition, volume I, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC, page 34

7. figurativelyobsoleteWeighing on one's mind.

   Ambition, and Covetouſneſſe are Paſſions alſo that are perpetually incumbent, and preſſing; vvhereas Reaſon is not perpetually preſent, to reſiſt them: and therefore vvhenſoever the hope of impunity appears, their effects proceed.

   1651, Thomas Hobbes, “Of Crimes, Excuses, and Extenuations”, in Leviathan, or The Matter, Forme, & Power of a Common-wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civill, London: […] [William Wilson] for Andrew Crooke, […], →OCLC, 2nd part (Of Common-wealth), page 155

plural incumbents

1. The current holder of an office or title; (specifically, Christianity) the holder of an ecclesiastical benefice.

   Just as interest grew under previous incumbent-but-one Grant Shapps, so interest could wane under new Transport Secretary Mark Harper.

   2022 November 16, Philip Haigh, “Trans-Pennine … Transformative”, in Rail, number 970, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 43

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   He has always remained friendly to me, though before his promotion, when he was an incumbent of this diocese, we had a little controversy about the Bible Society.

   1876, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], chapter XXIV, in Daniel Deronda, volume II, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book III (Maidens Choosing), page 123

   But if they had waited about the store to see what would happen when he arrived who until last night anyway must have still believed himself the incumbent, they were disappointed. […] A few days later they learned that the new smith was living in the house […]

   1940, William Faulkner, chapter 3, in The Hamlet […], London: Chatto & Windus, published 1979, →ISBN, book 1 (Flem), section 1, page 61

   Mr [Barack] Obama's problems were partly structural. An incumbent must defend the realities and compromises of government, while a challenger is freer to promise the earth, details to follow. Mr Obama's odd solution was to play both incumbent and challenger, jumping from a defence of his record to indignation at such ills as over-crowded classrooms and tax breaks for big oil companies.

   2012 October 6, “The first presidential debate: Back in the centre, back in the game”, in The Economist, London: The Economist Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 06 Oct 2012

   But the prospect of a Presidential election as a contest of the ancients is not a heartening one, and the anxieties it provokes cannot be dismissed as ageism. What are younger people, especially, to make of a political culture in which incumbents cling so tenaciously to their seats? The median age for senators is now around sixty-five. Mitt Romney, announcing his retirement, at the age of seventy-six, wasn't wrong to declare that it is time for a new generation of leaders to take the helm.

   2023 September 24, David Remnick, “The Washington Gerontocracy”, in The New Yorker, New York, N.Y.: Condé Nast Publications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 Sep 2023

   Antonyms: nonincumbent

2. businessA holder of a position as supplier to a market or market segment that allows the holder to earn above-normal profits.

   American capitalism is becoming like its European cousin: established firms with the scale and scope to deal with a growing thicket of regulations are doing well, but new companies are withering on the vine or selling themselves to incumbents.

   2012 September 29, “Schumpeter: Fixing the capitalist machine”, in The Economist, London: The Economist Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 29 Sep 2012

   Antonyms: nonincumbent