incipient

USAGE SUMMARY

'incipient' is a correct and commonly used word in written English.
It can be used to describe the beginning of an activity or process, such as "The incipient stages of the project were intimidating at first".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

She turned the PhD into a book, which got taught on university courses, and became involved in the incipient Green movement.

The Guardian

Given the paucity of political explanations for Isis's racing success, and knowing only what Isis rule means for the majority of inhabitants of the incipient "Islamic state", American or British bombs seem to offer a tempting short cut.

The Guardian - Opinion

In Britain the Tories applied the free economics of Milton Friedman to merciless extremes while in Northern Ireland they continued with Keynesianism in order to spend their way out of an incipient civil war.

The Guardian

The Original Soundtrack, every bit as cinematic as the title suggests; Deceptive Bends, a brave attempt to rescue things after Kevin Godley and Lol Creme abruptly left; and Sheet Music, experimental, funny, beautiful in parts, bawdy in others, songs that satirise the world of 1974 with its oil shocks and aircraft hijackings and incipient obsession with wealth and high finance.

The Guardian - Music

A famous article by Philip Adams, titled The Dangerous Pornography of Death aired the opinion that Miller's debut would appeal to "rapists, sadists, child-murderers and incipient Mansons".

The Guardian - Film

The sell-off had been made worse by new capital controls introduced on August 14th in response to incipient signs of capital flight.

The Economist

Foreign leftist academics claimed that all this added up to an empowering "direct democracy", superior to the incipient welfare state set up by Latin America's social democratic governments.

The Economist

China buys over 80% of Mongolia's exports and provides nearly half its imports.The anxiety has been sharpened by the incipient mining boom.

The Economist

Even without the bank runs that some predict would follow a Syriza victory, Mr Tsipras's pledge to undo many reforms and renationalise the few privatised firms would, at the least, kill off any incipient recovery.A worried Germany could yet ease demands for structural reforms to take the pressure off Mr Samaras.

The Economist

Many think the incipient species need to be cut off from one another geographically as well as ecologically, in order to stop the changes brought about by local natural selection being swamped by genes flowing in from elsewhere.

The Economist

In all, around a third of the country's workforce is due to transfer by 2015 to an incipient private sector.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "incipient" when you want to emphasize that something is in its very early stages of development and might not be immediately obvious.

Common error

While grammatically correct, "incipient" can sound overly formal in casual conversation. Opt for simpler alternatives like "beginning" or "emerging" in informal settings.

Linguistic Context

The word "incipient" functions primarily as an adjective. It modifies nouns to indicate that something is in an initial stage, beginning to develop or appear, as demonstrated by Ludwig in various examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Formal & Business

30%

Science

25%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "incipient" functions as an adjective, describing something in its early stages of development. According to Ludwig, its use is considered grammatically correct and relatively common, particularly in news and formal contexts. While "incipient" accurately conveys a sense of beginning, writers should consider the formality of the situation, opting for simpler terms like "beginning" or "emerging" in casual contexts. "Incipient" carries a nuance of potential and unseen development, making it appropriate where the future trajectory is uncertain.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

beginning stage

Replaces "incipient" with a more common and easily understandable phrase.

early phase

Similar to "beginning stage" but emphasizes the temporal aspect of the commencement.

emerging

Focuses on the act of coming into being, highlighting the development aspect.

nascent

A more formal synonym that also describes something newly born or started.

dawning

Suggests the start of something promising or significant, like a new era.

inceptive

A direct synonym but less frequently used than "incipient".

initial

A simpler and more widely understood term indicating the first stage.

commencing

Highlights the action of starting, rather than the state of being in an initial phase.

in its infancy

Emphasizes the vulnerability and potential for growth of something in its early stage.

germinal

Indicates the seed-like beginning of something, suggesting potential for significant development.

FAQs

How to use "incipient" in a sentence?

"Incipient" describes something in its early stages. For instance, "The project addressed the "incipient signs of economic recovery"" or "She noticed the "incipient stages of the disease"".

What can I say instead of "incipient"?

You can use alternatives like "beginning", "emerging", or "nascent", depending on the context.

Which is correct, "incipient" or "initial"?

Both "incipient" and "initial" can describe the start of something. "Incipient" emphasizes the early stages of development, while "initial" simply refers to the first stage or occurrence. Use "incipient" when the early development aspect is important.

What's the difference between "incipient" and "imminent"?

"Incipient" refers to something just beginning, while "imminent" describes something about to happen. "Incipient" focuses on the start, and "imminent" on the near future.