INCUMBENT

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does incumbent mean? 

• INCUMBENT (noun)
  The noun INCUMBENT has 1 sense:

1. the official who holds an office

  Familiarity information: INCUMBENT used as a noun is very rare.

• INCUMBENT (adjective)
  The adjective INCUMBENT has 3 senses:

1. lying or leaning on something else

2. necessary (for someone) as a duty or responsibility; morally binding

3. currently holding an office

  Familiarity information: INCUMBENT used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INCUMBENT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The official who holds an office

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

incumbent; officeholder

Hypernyms ("incumbent" is a kind of...):

holder (a person who holds something)

functionary; official (a worker who holds or is invested with an office)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "incumbent"):

office-bearer (the person who holds an office)

• INCUMBENT (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Lying or leaning on something else

Context example:

an incumbent geological formation

Similar:

superjacent (lying immediately above or on something else)

Domain category:

geology (a science that deals with the history of the earth as recorded in rocks)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Necessary (for someone) as a duty or responsibility; morally binding

Context example:

it is incumbent on them to pay their own debts

Similar:

necessary (absolutely essential)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Currently holding an office

Context example:

the incumbent governor

Similar:

current (occurring in or belonging to the present time)

Derivation:

incumbency (the office of an incumbent)

incumbency (the term during which some position is held)

 Context examples 

“I have felt it incumbent upon me, Master Copperfield,” said Uriah, “to point out to Doctor Strong what you and me have already talked about. You didn't exactly understand me, though?”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I am but the incumbent of a poor country parish: my aid must be of the humblest sort.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

It is particularly incumbent on those who never change their opinion, to be secure of judging properly at first.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

She did not mean to have her own affections entangled again, and it would be incumbent on her to avoid any encouragement of his.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

A living, of which Mr. Morland was himself patron and incumbent, of about four hundred pounds yearly value, was to be resigned to his son as soon as he should be old enough to take it; no trifling deduction from the family income, no niggardly assignment to one of ten children.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

With the prospect of spending at least two months at Uppercross, it was highly incumbent on her to clothe her imagination, her memory, and all her ideas in as much of Uppercross as possible.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

The incumbent is responsible for the overall direction in the conduct of cancer and allied research; provision and coordination of training in cancer-related research and education; operations, staffing, and maintenance of research facilities; development of new research activities; developing and maintaining relationships with other cancer centers in the nation as well as with international scientific community.'

(Director of Cancer Research Center, NCI Thesaurus)

I dare say you have seen enough of Edward to know that he would prefer the church to every other profession; now my plan is that he should take orders as soon as he can, and then through your interest, which I am sure you would be kind enough to use out of friendship for him, and I hope out of some regard to me, your brother might be persuaded to give him Norland living; which I understand is a very good one, and the present incumbent not likely to live a great while.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Tom listened with some shame and some sorrow; but escaping as quickly as possible, could soon with cheerful selfishness reflect, firstly, that he had not been half so much in debt as some of his friends; secondly, that his father had made a most tiresome piece of work of it; and, thirdly, that the future incumbent, whoever he might be, would, in all probability, die very soon.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

I believe you will accept the post I offer you, said he, and hold it for a while: not permanently, though: any more than I could permanently keep the narrow and narrowing—the tranquil, hidden office of English country incumbent; for in your nature is an alloy as detrimental to repose as that in mine, though of a different kind.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)