SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
incumbent
adjective
Required as a duty or responsibility.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Required as a duty
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topIncumbent normally takes on or upon a person: a duty is incumbent on someone.
Currently holding office
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topAn incumbent official currently holds the position. This adjective is separate from incumbent on someone, meaning required as a duty.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See incumbent in use
It is incumbent on each organizer to check the final schedule.
As the film group's submission coordinator, Rosa considered it incumbent on her to tell everyone which version would be sent.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license