All 4 Uses of
incumbent
in
Pride and Prejudice
- As to her younger daughters, she could not take upon her to say—she could not positively answer—but she did not know of any prepossession; her eldest daughter, she must just mention—she felt it incumbent on her to hint, was likely to be very soon engaged.†
p. 70.3
- It is particularly incumbent on those who never change their opinion, to be secure of judging properly at first.†
p. 92.5 *
- Elizabeth, feeling it incumbent on her to relieve him from so unpleasant a situation, now put herself forward to confirm his account, by mentioning her prior knowledge of it from Charlotte herself; and endeavored to put a stop to the exclamations of her mother and sisters by the earnestness of her congratulations to Sir William, in which she was readily joined by Jane, and by making a variety of remarks on the happiness that might be expected from the match, the excellent character of Mr. Collins, and the convenient distance of Hunsford from London.†
p. 124.6
- For about three years I heard little of him; but on the decease of the incumbent of the living which had been designed for him, he applied to me again by letter for the presentation.†
p. 195.8
Definitions:
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(1)
(incumbent as in: the incumbent governor) the person who currently holds an official position
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(2)
(incumbent as in: incumbent upon her to) necessary (for someone) as a duty or responsibility
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(3)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
Much more rarely (and generally archaically) "incumbent" can also mean resting, leaning, or bent downward. For example:- "two incumbent figures, gracefully leaning upon it"
- "the incumbent geological formation"
- "the incumbent load"
- "the bird's incumbent toe"