incumbency

English

Etymology

From incumbent +‎ -cy.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪŋˈkʌmbənsi/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

incumbency (countable and uncountable, plural incumbencies)

1. The state of being incumbent.
2. An obligation or duty.
3. A tenure.
4. (figurative) Benefice, lucrative position or possession.
   • 2016 October, Derek Thompson, “America’s Monopoly Problem”, in The Atlantic‎^[1]:

     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.

   • 2021 May 19, “Network News: ORR: signalling market lacks sufficient competition”, in RAIL, number 931, page 23:

     ORR believes the two companies have incumbency advantages dating back to privatisation.

   • 2022 July 18, George Monbiot, “This heatwave has eviscerated the idea that small changes can tackle extreme weather”, in The Guardian‎^[2]:

     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.

Translations

state of being incumbent

• German: Amt (de) n

obligation or duty

• Bulgarian: дълг (bg) m (dǎlg), задължение (bg) n (zadǎlženie)
• German: Pflicht (de) f, Aufgabe (de) f, Verpflichtung (de) f, Obliegenheit (de) f
• Russian: обя́занность (ru) f (objázannostʹ), долг (ru) m (dolg)
• Spanish: incumbencia (es) f, responsabilidad (es) f

tenure

• German: Amtszeit (de) f, Amt (de) n, Pfründe (de) f (religion)
• Russian: пребыва́ние в до́лжности n (prebyvánije v dólžnosti)
• Spanish: cargo (es) m, mandato (es) m, beneficio (es) m (religion), titularidad (es) f

benefice, lucrative position or possession

• Bulgarian: бенефиций m (beneficij)
• German: Pfründe (de) f
• Russian: бенефи́ций (ru) m (benefícij)
• Spanish: beneficio (es) m