incumbent
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6.8
- adjective
- /ɪnˈkʌmbənt/
:
titular
- During the debate, the incumbent mayor defended his record on public safety.
- incumbent president
- incumbent government
- incumbent party
Or in fact the reverse, by inspiring antipathy towards the West and sympathy for the incumbent regime?
- Or in fact the reverse, by inspiring antipathy towards the West and sympathy for the incumbent regime?
Examples
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Our top story tonight, just-released polls have incumbent Mayor Don Mitchell, Jr. and 28-year-old grassroots challenger Bella Real in a dead heat.
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For the first time since 1928, the field does not include an incumbent president or vice president.
Academic text (2008) -
And unfortunately, the current incumbent of the White House never got it.
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It's very hard for incumbent companies to change especially.
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Ask them to vote for the incumbent party next election.
Fiction book (1998) -
So we will need to be concerned with the skills of the incumbent workforce for years to come.
Academic text (1996) -
In both cases, again, the minor party vote increased the incumbent president's share of the major party popular vote.
Academic text (1998) -
Incumbent Mayor John Burrows expressed shock when told of the kidnapping.
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Our polls show Rhodes gaining on incumbent Mayor John Burrows.
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With 53% of the precincts reporting in, Channel 8 now projects that three-time incumbent Senator James B Stiles has defeated Stuart Hutchinson, giving Senator Stiles a fourth term.
Idioms
Compounds
Surface Forms
Morphology
incumbent = in + cumb + ent
Although historically analyzable as in- + cumb + -ent, these elements are Latin-derived and not productive or recognizable to average learners, so the meaning 'currently holding office' cannot be derived from English parts.
Etymology
Incumbent comes from Latin parts in- 'on' and cumbere 'to lie', so it originally meant 'lying on' someone. That's why we use incumbent as an adjective for someone who is now holding a position or office.