INCUMBENT Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

incumbent 1 of 2

noun

Definition of incumbent next

as in officeholder

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incumbent

2 of 2

adjective

in-ˈkəm-bənt

as in compulsory

forcing one's compliance or participation by or as if by law it is incumbent upon you to attend every staff meeting

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples of incumbent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In the Democratic primary, incumbent Iris Martinez lost decisively to challenger Mariyana Spyropoulos, a commissioner at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District who won the party’s support in the race. —

The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 17 Oct. 2024 But independent candidate Dan Osborn is throwing that into question with a populist campaign message that may bring him within striking distance of two-term incumbent GOP Sen. Deb Fischer. —

Riley Beggin, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2024

Adjective

There is no Democrat running for Senate in Nebraska but independent Dan Osborn is being quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) backed by the party over incumbent Republican Sen. Deb Fischer. —

Isabella Murray, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2024 The incumbent President’s disastrous performance in a June 27th debate against Trump only accelerated the trend. —

Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for incumbent

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incumbent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.