What does "incumbent" mean?
Incumbent: Lying, resting, or imposed, as a duty or obligation; obligatory; always with on or upon. All men, truly zealous, will perform those good works that are incumbent on all Christians. Sprat.
Additional senses
- 2.(Bot.) Leaning or resting; -- said of anthers when lying on the inner side of the filament, or of cotyledons when the radicle lies against the back of one of them. Gray.
- 3.(Zoöl.) Bent downwards so that the ends touch, or rest on, something else; as, the incumbent toe of a bird.
- 4.A person who is in present possession of a benefice or of any office. The incumbent lieth at the mercy of his patron. Swift.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
- Canonical URL: https://worddirectanswers.com/answers/what-does-incumbent-mean
- Steward: Jason Burns
- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00