incumbent
/ɪnˈkʌmb(ə)nt
/adjective
1 (incumbent on/upon) Necessary for (someone) as a duty or responsibility: the government realized that it was incumbent on them to act...
- The former is a duty incumbent upon all Muslims, the latter a duty incumbent upon the ‘Islamic state’.
- It's incumbent upon everybody to take responsibility about what is happening in our country.
- The acquisition of knowledge is a duty incumbent on every Muslim, male and female.
Synonyms
binding, obligatory, mandatory, necessary, compulsory, required, requisite, essential, imperative
2 [attributive] (Of an official or regime) currently holding office: the incumbent President was defeated...
- A change in anyone's government gets far more attention than an election that returns the incumbent government to office.
- The GNP is standing at the crossroads, facing a road to a permanent opposition party or being reborn as the main pillar to support national politics as the alternative force of the incumbent regime.
- Instead of highlighting the brutality sustaining the incumbent regimes in power, these analysts blame the victims.
Synonyms
current, existing, present, in office, in power;
reigning
3 [attributive] (Of a company) having a sizeable share of a market: powerful incumbent airlines...
- So long as free entry and exit exists in markets, incumbent businesses can earn only competitive rates of profit.
- They also were incumbent companies that resisted change and eventually were consumed by it.
- We hear a lot about barriers to entry and how those insuperable walls can be a natural protection for incumbent companies.
noun
1The holder of an office or post: the present incumbent will soon be retiring...
- Voters may look back on an incumbent's performance in office, and cast a retrospective vote, or may compare what the candidates promise to do if elected to office, and vote prospectively.
- In terms of incumbents losing office in Australia, this is the lowest vote that we've ever heard of in any public election for anything.
- One is, we're asking incumbents to vote to change a system that keeps incumbents in office.
Synonyms
holder, bearer, occupant;
office-holder, office-bearer, officer, functionary, official
1.1 Christian Church The holder of an ecclesiastical benefice.The monk or nun incumbents will probably engage in daily devotions and practices, as well as giving teachings, blessings and ceremonies for the laity....
- A provost is the head of the cathedral chapter in a number of the Church of England's more recently created dioceses in which the cathedral is also a parish church and the provost is the incumbent.
- He visited the eclectic congregation systematically and, with the support of the incumbent, initiated weekly Bible studies, men's meetings and other teaching activities.
Origin
Late Middle English (as a noun): from Anglo-Latin incumbens, incumbent-, from Latin incumbere 'lie or lean on', from in- 'upon' + a verb related to cubare 'lie'.