incipient

adjective

in·​cip·​i·​ent in-ˈsi-pē-ənt 

: beginning to come into being or to become apparent

an incipient solar system

evidence of incipient racial tension

incipiently adverb

Did you know?

Incipient... incipient... where to begin? Well, there’s its meaning for one: incipient describes something that is beginning to come into being or to become apparent, as in “the incipient stages of the process.” And of course a good starting point for any investigation of incipient is also the Latin verb incipere, which means “to begin.” Incipient emerged in English in the 17th century, appearing in both religious and scientific contexts, as in “incipient grace” and “incipient putrefaction.” Later came the genesis of two related nouns, incipiency and incipience, both of which are synonymous with beginning. Incipere’s influence is also visible at the beginning of the words inception (“an act, process, or instance of beginning”) and incipit, a term that in Latin literally means “it begins” and which refers in English to the opening words of a medieval manuscript or early printed book.

Did you know?

Insipid vs. Incipient

There are those who claim that these two words are commonly confused, though the collected evidence in our files doesn’t support that claim (in edited prose, that is). If there is confusion, it is likely because incipient is sometimes used in constructions where its meaning is not clear.

Insipid is less common than incipient, but it is used more in general prose and with much more clarity than incipient is. Insipid means “weak,” and it can refer to people (“insipid hangers-on”), things (“what an insipid idea,” “painted the room an insipid blue,” “he gave his boss an insipid smile”), and specifically flavors or foods (“an insipid soup,” “the cocktail was insipid and watery”).

Incipient, on the other hand, is more common than insipid is and means “beginning to come into being or become apparent.” It has general use (“an incipient idea,” “incipient racial tensions”), but also has extensive specialized use in medicine (“an incipient disease”) and other scientific fields (“an incipient star in a distant galaxy”). But general use of incipient is sometime vague at best:

But devaluing grand slams to 3 1/2 runs has irked even the guys it was meant to pacify. "They're messing with the game," says incipient slugger Randy Johnson (three grannies already this spring). "Not to mention my RBI totals."
— ESPN, 14 June 1999

Among my generation of aesthetes, bohemians, proto-dropouts, and incipient eternal students at Sydney University in the late 1950s, Robert Hughes was the golden boy.
— Clive James, The New York Review, 11 Jan. 2007

This menu looks traditional but embraces ingredients and ideas that have become incipient classics in American cuisine, such as portobello mushrooms, fresh mozzarella and mango.
— Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, 30 Nov. 1995

Incipient is rarely used of people, and so the first example is an atypical use of the word. As for the other examples, can something that is just beginning to emerge be eternal, or a classic? Uses like this tend to confuse the reader.

If you find yourself unsure of which word to use, follow the rule that when referring to someone or something weak, use insipid, and when referring to something that is newly apparent or newly begun, use incipient.

Synonyms

• aborning
• budding
• inceptive
• inchoate
• nascent

Examples of incipient in a Sentence

The project is still in its incipient stages.

I have an incipient dislike and distrust of that guy, and I only met him this morning.

Recent Examples on the Web

Voters who remembered the troubles of the first Trump presidency—the rising unemployment, the decreasing health insurance coverage, the erosion of diplomatic alliances, the children separated from their families at the border, and the violent attack on the Capitol—saw an incipient emergency. —Nathan Heller, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2024

That incipient definition characterized a lot of early thinking about dyslexia. —Sarah Carr, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2023

Rotary motion in a thunderstorm may be a sign of an incipient tornado or one that is forming. —Martin Weil, Washington Post, 23 July 2024

As the war drags on, malnutrition has become widespread in Gaza as aid deliveries have slowed to a trickle, and the United Nations has warned of incipient famine. —Dan Williams, USA TODAY, 31 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin incipient-, incipiens, present participle of incipere to begin — more at inception

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

incipient

adjective

in·​cip·​i·​ent in-ˈsip-ē-ənt 

: beginning to come into being or to become apparent

the incipient light of day

incipiently adverb

Medical Definition

incipient

adjective

in·​cip·​i·​ent -ənt 

: beginning to come into being or to become apparent

the incipient stage of a fever

incipiently adverb