Word of the Day

: January 1, 2024

incipient

adjective in-SIP-ee-unt

What It Means

Incipient is used to describe things which are beginning to come into being or which are to become apparent.

// The study clearly needs to be extended because the most recent data suggest incipient changes in the trends identified.

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incipient in Context

“While still in its incipient stages, working with AI will also become more important over the years. Automated systems are at the core of many things, from streaming apps and video games to online shopping platforms and navigation tools.” — Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 4 Aug. 2023

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.