incumbent 1 of 2

noun

Definition of incumbentnext
as in officeholder

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incumbent

2 of 2

adjective

in-ˈkəm-bənt How to pronounce incumbent (audio)
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of incumbent
Noun
At the time, Bishop was a 30-year incumbent who was being challenged by Republican developer Chris West in southwest Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District. — Tamar Hallerman, AJC.com, 24 Aug. 2026 While the party isn’t formally backing a District 6 candidate because the runoff features two Democrats, Moore Russell offered her own public backing of incumbent Mike Scott. — Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026
Adjective
McCollum knocked off the incumbent GOP congressman in their primary and then defeated his Democratic foe on election day in a district that had more Dems than Republicans. — Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026 Serval didn't have to displace anyone to change how the incumbent charges. — Victor Dey, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for incumbent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incumbent
  1. officeholder
  2. compulsory
  3. required
  4. mandatory
  5. necessary
Noun
  • The association is using the $7 million to back officeholders in Iowa, Kansas, Georgia, Ohio, Florida and Texas and Republican candidates in Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, Michigan, Nevada, New York, and Wisconsin.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The state constitution bars state officeholders from seeking a different office with a start date more than 30 days before the end of the officeholder's current term.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of officeholder
Adjective
  • Even though public schooling became compulsory in 1896, the language barrier and the remote location of many plantations led to gaps in access to these laborers’ formal education.
    — H.M.A. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 21 Aug. 2026
  • That set off both margin calls and compulsory sales at the fund.
    — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of compulsory
Adjective
  • Your school will apply the funds toward required costs like tuition and fees before sending any remaining amount to you.
    — Rebecca Safier, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The economics behind that shift are already influencing how some large companies deploy AI, with businesses becoming increasingly selective in matching individual tasks to models based on cost and required performance.
    — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of required
Adjective
  • The fallout of this fraud included several new state-level fiscal accountability reforms for all New York school districts, including stricter internal controls, mandatory board oversight and independent auditor requirements.
    — Kathryn Blackman, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Due to the business’s small, quaint space, reservations are mandatory.
    — Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of mandatory
Adjective
  • Addressing workers at the company’s headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany, Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume warned Tuesday that eliminating tens of thousands of jobs could be necessary to remain competitive.
    — Maegan Vazquez, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The equipment in the classroom is also outdated and no longer reaches performance capabilities necessary for modern digital art, web design and 2D and 3D imaging, officials said.
    — Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of necessary

Browse Nearby Words

incumbency
incumbent
incumbents
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Cite this Entry

“Incumbent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incumbent. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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