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
The two-term incumbent garnered the support of 46% of voters surveyed while Conley got 48% in the WPIX-11/Emerson College poll of about 400 voters released on Thursday. — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026 In every one of those races, the incumbent held that commanding lead. — Luke Fountain,gabriel Cortés, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
Adjective
Brazil’s attorney general last week accused the US of undermining Brazilian democracy — a central theme for incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who holds a razor-thin polling lead over Flávio Bolsonaro. — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Although the race had tightened considerably in the weeks leading up to the election, the vast majority of the polls showed incumbent President Inacio Lula da Silva with a single-digit lead. — David Unsworth, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for incumbent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incumbent
  1. officeholder
  2. compulsory
  3. required
  4. mandatory
  5. necessary
Noun
  • DuVernay says her team approached nearly 300 GOP officeholders, but only a little more than a dozen engaged with them at all.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The officeholder also serves as president of the State Senate and can cast tie-breaking legislative votes.
    — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of officeholder
Adjective
  • French high school students' compulsory classroom hours are among the highest in Europe.
    — NICOLAS GARRIGA, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • French high school students’ compulsory classroom hours are among the highest in Europe.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of compulsory
Adjective
  • The settlement includes a series of stipulations related to the number of theatrical films the combined company will release per year and the required budget for those films.
    — Catriona Marangi, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Reaching that altitude, however, required GICON to rethink how such a turbine could be constructed.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of required
Adjective
  • The White House has formally sent Congress proposed legislation that would impose mandatory minimum sentences on those convicted of fraud involving federal benefit programs, according to a copy of it seen by Semafor.
    — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Face masks were distributed to local kindergartens, and mandatory mask mandates were slapped on workers at the nearby Irkutsk Aluminum Plant.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of mandatory
Adjective
  • The policy directs higher education institutions not to create a list of student names linked with immigration status or retain sensitive information, like a student or parent’s Social Security number, for longer than necessary.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Officials have also decided on a general application screening and approval process, including what types of background checks will be necessary and which government agencies should be involved.
    — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 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 10 Oct. 2026.

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