anti-incumbent

adjective

an·​ti-in·​cum·​bent
ˌan-tē-in-ˈkəm-bənt,
ˌan-tī- How to pronounce anti-incumbent (audio)
: characterized by or expressing opposition to or disapproval of current political officeholders
Some would argue that 1994 was a mere extension of the anti-incumbent mood in 1992 that toppled President George Bush …Donald R. Wolfensberger

Examples of anti-incumbent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The third lesson of the recent elections concerns the power of an anti-incumbent message in a world still dealing with stagnant economic growth, rising income inequality, high rates of international migration and the lingering impact of inflation. Max Boot, Washington Post, 8 July 2024 The aftermath To some extent, Sunak’s biggest crime is simply to be in office during a widespread anti-incumbent trend throughout the Western democratic world. Joshua Keating, Vox, 2 July 2024 Having so many opponents might work to the mayor’s advantage, as his four competitors could divide the anti-incumbent vote. Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2024 In all of them, there was an anti-incumbent swing, in no small measure driven by the price rises and tax rises that were bound to follow after governments took to paying people to stay at home. Dan Hannan, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 June 2024 India’s election was a comparable anti-incumbent revolt, even if Mr. Modi’s B.J.P. is still the largest party in Parliament by a wide margin. Mark Landler, New York Times, 6 June 2024 The election comes at a time when several Latin American countries have seen elections marked by anti-incumbent sentiment and political outsiders amid general discontent over the economy and crime. TIME, 23 Oct. 2023 The other two races, analysts said, are a better gauge of Britain’s anti-incumbent mood after 13 years of Conservative rule and provided a possible preview of the general election that Sunak must call by January 2025. Mark Landler, BostonGlobe.com, 21 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'anti-incumbent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anti-incumbent was in 1893

Dictionary Entries Near anti-incumbent

Cite this Entry

“Anti-incumbent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anti-incumbent. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.

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