incur

verb

in·​cur in-ˈkər 

incurred; incurring

transitive verb

: to become liable or subject to : bring down upon oneself

incur expenses

Did you know?

Incur vs. Occur

Incur bears a strong family resemblance to another English verb, occur. If you are confused by their similarities, a glance back at their Latin roots might help you to tell them apart.

Both words have a common root in Latin currere, meaning “to run.” In the case of incur, currere was combined with Latin in “into,” which produced the meaning “to run into.” In English, the one who incurs, or “runs into,” is most often a person and the thing incurred is usually some self-inflicted negative consequence (such as a debt or somebody’s foul temper). The ancestor of occur, by contrast, paired Latin ob “in the way” with currere, producing the basic meaning “to run in the way of,” or “to present itself.” In English, the verb came to apply strictly to events, things, or ideas; something (such as a tornado) that occurs, or “presents itself,” appears or happens; a thought that occurs, or “presents itself” to someone, comes into that person’s mind.

To summarize: a person (or something composed of people, like a company) incurs, or becomes subject to, something negative; something occurs, or happens, or an idea occurs to, or comes into the mind of, someone.

Examples of incur in a Sentence

Submitting students to the rigors of learning seemed only to incur the wrath of many of them … —Ben Marcus, Time, 8 Jan. 2001

Shakespeare … took plots and characters from wherever he pleased, rarely acknowledging sources, and he saw so little sanctity in his own words that anyone could print them who cared to incur the expense—which did not include royalties to Shakespeare. —Walter Kendrick, New York Times Book Review, 29 Oct. 1989

To be too good-looking is sometimes to incur the dislike, if not the hatred, of the ordinary-looking. —Joseph Epstein, The Middle of My Tether, 1983

What did he do to incur such wrath?

Recent Examples on the Web

This is done to control premium costs for everyone by using the lower costs incurred by healthy participants to keep in check the higher costs incurred by unhealthy participants. —Stephanie Armour | Kff Health News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2024

The settlement will cover the federal costs incurred to respond to the disaster, including clearing the bridge and ship debris to reopen the Fort McHenry Shipping Channel in June. —Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024

That includes material expenditures incurred or expected to address those risks. —Joan Michelson, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

Voluntarily incurring a delay of game penalty would normally draw confusion or ire from a team’s legion of fans, but not this time. —Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 19 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English incurren, from Latin incurrere, literally, to run into, from in- + currere to run — more at car

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

incur

verb

in·​cur in-ˈkər 

incurred; incurring

1

: to meet with (as an inconvenience)

incur expenses

2

: to bring upon oneself

incur punishment

Etymology

from Latin incurrere "to meet with," literally, "to run into," from in- "in, into" and currere "to run" — related to current, occur

Legal Definition

incur

transitive verb

in·​cur in-ˈkər 

incurred; incurring

: to become liable or subject to : bring down upon oneself

incur obligations

incur expenses