incumbent


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in·cum·bent

 (ĭn-kŭm′bənt)
adj.
1. Imposed as an obligation or duty; obligatory: felt it was incumbent on us all to help.
2. Lying, leaning, or resting on something else: incumbent rock strata.
3. Currently holding a specified office: the incumbent mayor.
n.
A person who holds an office or ecclesiastical benefice: The incumbent was reelected to another term.

[Middle English, holder of an office, from Medieval Latin incumbēns, incumbent-, from Latin, present participle of incumbere, to lean upon, apply oneself to : in-, on; see in-2 + -cumbere, to recline.]

in·cum′bent·ly adv.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

incumbent

(ɪnˈkʌmbənt)
adj
1. formal (often: postpositive and foll by on or upon and an infinitive) morally binding or necessary; obligatory: it is incumbent on me to attend.
2. (usually: postpositive and foll by on) resting or lying (on)
n
(Ecclesiastical Terms) a person who holds an office, esp a clergyman holding a benefice
[C16: from Latin incumbere to lie upon, devote one's attention to, from in-2 + -cumbere, related to Latin cubāre to lie down]
inˈcumbently adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

in•cum•bent

(ɪnˈkʌm bənt)

adj.
1. currently holding an indicated office: the incumbent president.
2. obligatory: a duty incumbent upon me.
3. resting, lying, or pressing on something.
n.
4. the holder of an office or an ecclesiastical benefice.
[1375–1425; late Middle English (n.) < Latin incumbent-, s. of incumbēns, present participle of incumbere to lie or lean upon]
in•cum′bent•ly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.incumbent - the official who holds an office
holder - a person who holds something; "they held two hostages"; "he holds the trophy"; "she holds a United States passport"
office-bearer - the person who holds an office
functionary, official - a worker who holds or is invested with an office
Adj.1.incumbent - lying or leaning on something else; "an incumbent geological formation"
geology - a science that deals with the history of the earth as recorded in rocks
superjacent - lying immediately above or on something else
2.incumbent - necessary (for someone) as a duty or responsibility; morally binding; "it is incumbent on them to pay their own debts"
necessary - absolutely essential
3.incumbent - currently holding an office; "the incumbent governor"
current - occurring in or belonging to the present time; "current events"; "the current topic"; "current negotiations"; "current psychoanalytic theories"; "the ship's current position"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

incumbent

noun
1. holder, keeper, bearer, custodian The previous incumbent led the party for eleven years.
adjective (Formal)
1. obligatory, required, necessary, essential, binding, compulsory, mandatory, imperative It is incumbent upon all of us to make an extra effort.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations

incumbent

[ɪnˈkʌmbənt]
A. ADJ (frm) to be incumbent on sb to do sthincumbir a algn hacer algo
I felt it incumbent upon me to gosentí que debía ir
B. Ntitular mf, poseedor(a) m/f (de un cargo o dignidad) (Rel) → beneficiado m
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

incumbent

[ɪnˈkʌmbənt]
adj
it is incumbent on him to ... → il lui appartient de ...
it is incumbent upon us to ... → il nous appartient de ...
ntitulaire mf
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

incumbent

(form)
adj
to be incumbent upon somebodyjdm obliegen (form), → jds Pflicht sein (to do sth etw zu tun)
the incumbent mayorder amtierende Bürgermeister, die amtierende Bürgermeisterin
nAmtsinhaber(in) m(f); (Eccl) → Inhaber(in) m(f)einer Pfarrstelle
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

incumbent

[ɪnˈkʌmbənt] (frm)
1. adj it is incumbent on him to do it ...spetta a lui farlo...
2. n (gen) → titolare m/f (Rel) → beneficiato
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
References in classic literature ?
Some Radical fellow speechifying at Middlemarch said Casaubon was the learned straw-chopping incumbent, and Freke was the brick-and-mortar incumbent, and I was the angling incumbent.
He nodded gravely, and added with awful emphasis - 'I thought it incumbent upon me to do so.'
Besides, there would be another inconvenience attending this proposal, for what is common to many is taken least care of; for all men regard more what is their own than what others share with them in, to which they pay less attention than is incumbent on every one: let me add also, that every one is more negligent of what another is to see to, as well as himself, than of his own private business; as in a family one is often worse served by many servants than by a few.
Craig had felt it incumbent on them to represent "the family" at the Chase on the occasion.
Of course, while we drank our beer, which I had paid for, it was incumbent on him to listen to me and to talk to me.
All things considered, therefore, it seems incumbent on me to take her to town and marry her immediately to Sir James.
Murat's face beamed with stupid satisfaction as he listened to "Monsieur de Bal-macheve." But royaute oblige!* and he felt it incumbent on him, as a king and an ally, to confer on state affairs with Alexander's envoy.
As incumbent of that office, he stumbled up-stairs late at night, as his father had done before him.
They formed the design of a great Confederacy, which it is incumbent on their successors to improve and perpetuate.
"As to her YOUNGER daughters, she could not take upon her to say-- she could not positively answer-- but she did not KNOW of any prepossession; her ELDEST daughter, she must just mention-- she felt it incumbent on her to hint, was likely to be very soon engaged."
Then, when once an incumbent of this post, he would marry Mademoiselle de Montalais.
Weston, "as I took Miss Taylor away, it is incumbent on me to supply her place, if I can; and I will step to Mrs.