incipient

adjective

in-ˈsi-pē-ənt How to pronounce incipient (audio)
Definition of incipientnext
as in nascent
beginning to come into existence I have an incipient dislike and distrust of that guy, and I only met him this morning

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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 incipient Even incipient technologies like quantum computing rely on specialized fabrication and precision engineering. — Eric Kutcher, Fortune, 13 May 2026 Their evident fondness for one another, glowing warmly alongside all their sniping and whispering and eye-rolling, allows all the nightmares in Big Mistakes to feel like a lark rather than an incipient calamity. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026 Now, the Iran war threatens to widen an incipient generational divide within the GOP. — Ronald Brownstein, Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2026 His incipient political ascent has been marred by tragedy—41 people died and more than 80 were injured in a stampede at a TVK rally in 2025. — Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for incipient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incipient
  1. nascent
  2. initial
  3. first
Adjective
  • The first meandering rivers and floodplains developed as tree roots stabilized soil and prevented its erosion, while at the same time locking away vast amounts of atmospheric carbon into the nascent soils.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
  • And there will always be gay kids coming to terms with their nascent sexuality — like Clive’s 16-year-old son George (Jackson Connor), whose interactions with Leo draw his father’s suspicion and ire.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of nascent
Adjective
  • However, Efthymiou has been unable to get GBP100,000 (about $130,000) to perform the initial mouse-model study.
    — Deepa Fernandes, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In the initial screening, AccuPoint Solutions uses a variety of primary data points as a minimum baseline, maximum ceiling or within a range to eliminate those firms that do not meet CNBC's requirements.
    — Kelli Grant, CFP®,Riley de León, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of initial
Adjective
  • Now Ricketts is running for his first full six-year term against independent Dan Osborn -- a race that initially was not expected to be competitive but is now being watched by the national parties.
    — NICHOLAS INGRAM, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • One of the first of those is when their AI program teaches itself to beat the machine in a notoriously difficult video game.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of first

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incipiency
incipient
incipiently
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Cite this Entry

“Incipient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incipient. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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