incumbent
/ɪnˈkʌm.bənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈkʌm.bənt/ (ame, ipa) · /in-ˈkəm-bənt/ (ame, mw) · /ɪnˈkʌmbənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈkʌmbənt/ (ame, ipa)
incumbent — 形容詞
- incumbentpositive
- more incumbentcomparative
- most incumbentsuperlative
1. currently holding a particular official position, for example in government or a
現任的
目前擔任某一職位的
currently holding a particular official position, for example in government or a formal organization
The incumbent mayor of Kaohsiung decided not to run for another term.
高雄市的現任市長決定不再競選連任。
incumbent + [title] + of [place]
Evelyn had a clear advantage over her opponent because she was the incumbent senator.
Evelyn 因為是現任參議員，所以比對手擁有明顯的優勢。
be the incumbent + [title]
The incumbent government raised taxes despite promising not to during the campaign.
現任政府雖然在競選時承諾不加稅，但後來還是提高了稅收。
Amira was not afraid to challenge the incumbent candidate on her environmental policies.
Amira 毫不畏懼地就環境政策向現任候選人提出質疑。
Voters sometimes support the incumbent party simply because they distrust change.
選民有時會支持現任政黨，純粹是因為他們不信任改變。
- former
refers to someone who held the position in the past but no longer does
文法句型
incumbent + [title/position noun]
用法筆記
This sense always appears immediately before a noun naming the position held (president, mayor, government, etc.). It cannot be used as a predicative adjective alone.
常見錯誤
2. means that a particular person is morally bound to do something — for example, a
有義務的
某人必須承擔的責任
means that a particular person is morally bound to do something — for example, a doctor's duty to tell the truth to a patient, or a parent's obligation to protect their child
It is incumbent upon the school board to provide equal opportunities for all students.
學校董事會有義務為所有學生提供平等的機會。
it is incumbent upon [authority] to [verb phrase]
Nora felt it was incumbent on her to tell the truth about what she saw.
Nora 覺得自己有義務說出她所看到的事實。
As team leader, Gabriel considered it incumbent upon himself to motivate the staff.
身為團隊領導人，Gabriel 認為自己有責任激勵員工。
It is incumbent on every driver to follow the traffic rules and keep others safe.
每位駕駛人都有義務遵守交通規則並保障他人安全。
The charity believes it is incumbent upon wealthy nations to help those in need.
該慈善機構認為富國有義務幫助貧困國家。
- obligatory
stronger and more legalistic; used for rules or laws rather than moral duty
- binding
implies a formal or legal requirement rather than a moral one
- required
more neutral and less formal; does not carry the same moral weight
- optional
suggests that something may be chosen freely and is not required
文法句型
it is incumbent upon/on [someone] to [do something]
用法筆記
Frequently occurs in the fixed construction 'it is incumbent upon/on [someone] to [do something].' The subject of the sentence is usually dummy 'it,' and the real subject is the infinitive clause. 'Upon' and 'on' are interchangeable, though 'upon' is more formal.
常見錯誤
incumbent — 名詞
- incumbentsingular
- incumbentsplural
1. a person who currently holds a particular official role, especially in politics
現任者
目前擔任某一職位的人
a person who currently holds a particular official role, especially in politics or government
The incumbent won by defeating three challengers from smaller parties.
現任者擊敗了三個小黨派的挑戰者，贏得選舉。
Bilal decided to run for city council though the incumbent had strong local support.
Bilal 決定參選市議員，儘管現任者在當地擁有強大的支持。
run against the incumbent
It is very difficult to unseat a popular incumbent during a period of economic growth.
在經濟成長時期，要擊敗一位受歡迎的現任者非常困難。
Two challengers argued that the incumbent had failed to keep his promises to local families.
兩位挑戰者聲稱現任者未能兌現對當地家庭的承諾。
Charities often struggle when a new minister replaces an incumbent who supported their work.
當新部長取代了一位支持慈善工作的現任者時，慈善機構常會陷入困境。
- officeholder
more neutral and less tied to election contexts; can describe any official role
- office-bearer
chiefly British; used in formal or organizational contexts
- sitting member
British English, used specifically for current members of parliament
- challenger
a person who competes against the incumbent for a position
- candidate
any person seeking a position; broader than 'challenger'
文法句型
the incumbent
an incumbent
[adjective] incumbent
用法筆記
Common in election news coverage. The noun is almost always used with 'the' (the incumbent) to refer to the current office holder in a specific race. 'Incumbent' contrasts with 'challenger' — the person trying to take the position.