INCUMBENT


Meaning of INCUMBENT in English

I. in-ˈkəm-bənt noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin incumbent-, incumbens, present participle of incumbere to lie down on, from in- + -cumbere to lie down; akin to cubare to lie

Date: 15th century

1. : the holder of an office or ecclesiastical benefice

2. : one that occupies a particular position or place

II. adjective

Date: 1567

1. : imposed as a duty : obligatory

incumbent on us to take action

2. : having the status of an incumbent

the team's incumbent third baseman

especially : occupying a specified office

3. : lying or resting on something else

4. : bent over so as to rest on or touch an underlying surface

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.