[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/incumbent.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / incumbent

[← I](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/I/)

# incumbent

«incumbent» in Mova's school dictionary: **the person who holds an official job right now, such as a…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

noun (an incumbent, incumbents); adjective (incumbent; incumbent on/upon someone)

### meaning for a pupil

1) (formal) The incumbent is the person who holds an official job right now, such as a president, mayor or member of parliament. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/incumbent/#m1)

2) (formal) Incumbent on or upon you means it is your duty: if it is incumbent on you to do something, you must do it. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/incumbent/#m2)

3) (church) The incumbent of a parish is the priest or vicar in charge of it. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/incumbent/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

Mostly heard in news about elections: «the incumbent mayor», «the incumbent won again», «defeat the incumbent». In exam and formal writing: «it is incumbent upon all pupils to…». In church life, the vicar or rector of a parish is its incumbent. It tells the reader who already holds the post, as opposed to the challenger who wants it.

### examples

- The incumbent mayor is standing for election again. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/incumbent/#x1)
- The challenger beat the incumbent by two hundred votes. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/incumbent/#x2)
- It is incumbent upon every visitor to sign the book at the front desk. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/incumbent/#x3)
- The incumbent president gave a speech on television. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/incumbent/#x4)
- The parish has had the same incumbent for many years. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/incumbent/#x5)
- As class captain, it was incumbent on Mia to help new pupils. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/incumbent/#x6)
- Voters were unhappy with the incumbent government. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/incumbent/#x7)

### note

Formal word; children rarely say it. As an adjective it usually comes before a noun («the incumbent leader») or in the phrase «incumbent on/upon». Do not confuse with «encumber» (to weigh down). Opposite in elections: challenger.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «incumbent» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/incumbent/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.