Dictionary

incumbency en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ɪŋˈkʌmbənsi/

Etymology

From incumbent + -cy.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The state of being incumbent.
2. (countable, uncountable) An obligation or duty.
3. (countable, uncountable) A tenure.
4. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) Benefice, lucrative position or possession.
   • They do so on behalf of the fossil fuel industry, animal farming, finance, construction firms, car manufacturers and airline companies, but also on behalf of something bigger than any of those interests: the power of incumbency. 2022 July 18, George Monbiot, “This heatwave has eviscerated the idea that small changes can tackle extreme weather”, in The Guardian:
   • The early antitrust reformers warned that even beyond its effect on prices, economic power could buy influence in Congress. Monopolies don’t just dominate their own industries, Justice Louis Brandeis said in 1933; they monopolize political power as well, which allows them to protect their incumbency and stifle competition in myriad ways. 2016 October, Derek Thompson, “America’s Monopoly Problem”, in The Atlantic:
   • ORR believes the two companies have incumbency advantages dating back to privatisation. 2021 May 19, “Network News: ORR: signalling market lacks sufficient competition”, in RAIL, number 931, page 23:

Forms

Deriveds

superincumbency

Translations (37)

es cargo (tenure) · it competenza (obligation or duty) · de Pfründe (tenure) · pl urzędowanie (tenure) · fr ressort (obligation or duty) · bg бенефиций (benefice, lucrative position or possession) · pl obowiązek (obligation or duty) · es beneficio (tenure) · it incombenza (state of being incumbent) · de Amt (tenure) · de Amtszeit (tenure) · de Obliegenheit (obligation or duty) · pl kadencja (tenure) · de Pflicht (obligation or duty) · de Pfründe (benefice, lucrative position or possession) · ru бенефи́ций (benefice, lucrative position or possession) · de Amtsinhaberschaft (state of being incumbent) · pl leżenie (state of being incumbent) · de Aufgabe (obligation or duty) · de Amt (state of being incumbent) · pl beneficjum (benefice, lucrative position or possession) · es incumbencia (obligation or duty) · ca incumbència (state of being incumbent) · ru долг (obligation or duty) · it incombenza (obligation or duty) · bg задължение (obligation or duty) · it affari (obligation or duty) · es titularidad (tenure) · ru пребыва́ние в до́лжности (tenure) · it affare (obligation or duty) · ca incumbència (obligation or duty) · de Verpflichtung (obligation or duty) · bg дълг (obligation or duty) · pt incumbência (obligation or duty) · es mandato (tenure) · ru обя́занность (obligation or duty) · es incumbencia (state of being incumbent)