incumbency

noun

in-ˈkəm-bən(t)-sē How to pronounce incumbency (audio)
Definition of incumbencynext
as in obligation
something one must do because of prior agreement few incumbencies of her office are as distasteful to the college president as fund-raising, of which there seems to be no end

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 incumbency That removes the incumbency advantage the GOP has seen in the district. — Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2026 How much weight does incumbency carry? — Philip Elliott, Time, 10 June 2026 But ultimately, the support for Rosen — through his prolific high-profile endorsements and corresponding fundraising advantage — along with the historical strength of incumbency in this countywide office, appear to have carried him to re-election. — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 3 June 2026 Assembly District 39 Democratic state Assemblyman Juan Carrillo’s incumbency was being challenged by Republican Paul Andre Marsh, a community services liaison. — Ryan Carter, Daily News, 3 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for incumbency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incumbency
  1. obligation
  2. duty
  3. responsibility
  4. office
  5. need
  6. promise
Noun
  • Conversely, the players’ obligations remain individual, unfinanced and absorbed across 1,200 separate household clocks.
    — Chris Koras, Sportico.com, 28 Sep. 2026
  • And even with an involved father, mothers continue to carry the invisible mental load of the family, an unseen burden of data, obligations and preemptive planning tasks.
    — Megan Kuykendoll, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of obligation
Noun
  • The friendly staff, who wear black uniforms with lettering that identifies their duties add to the hotel’s merry atmosphere.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Building continuous-duty gyrotrons for geothermal drilling could therefore help develop technology needed by both industries.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of duty
Noun
  • And as these doors open to the general public, the scientific community has a responsibility to develop clear standards for what makes up a medically reliable genome in the first place.
    — Euan Ashley, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The central point is that responsibility for AI’s effects rests with the people and institutions that develop, deploy, and rely on it.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of responsibility
Noun
  • Moscow's forces pounded apartment buildings, offices, gas stations and data centers, among other targets.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The premium hardware and 500D nylon build offer IPX4 splash protection and rugged longevity without relying on the loud, militaristic styling that makes other tactical packs look out of place in a professional office.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of office
Noun
  • Mercury in your 10th House squares Mars in your partnership zone, so another person’s needs or opinions may push against your plans, reputation, or sense of direction.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Later in 2022, the FDA mandated that manufacturers keep more detailed tracking information across the food supply chain, sparking a need for a better barcode.
    — HubSpot, HubSpot, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of need
Noun
  • Crashing Out With Kail follows the reality star on her tour and promises to feature hotel room chaos, green room tension, business decisions made on the fly and a relationship playing out in real time while seven kids wait at home.
    — Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Fall’s brisk weather brings with it the promise of cozy knitwear, cashmere socks, and roaring fires—perhaps the only downside is that the grey skies exacerbate the our considerable vitamin D deficiency.
    — Violet Hayward, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of promise

Browse Nearby Words

incumbencies
incumbency
incumbent
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Incumbency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incumbency. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tittle

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All