sitting incumbent

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "sitting incumbent" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to refer to a person currently holding a specific position, especially in politics or office roles. Example: "The sitting incumbent has announced their intention to run for re-election in the upcoming campaign."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

"I don't think a sitting incumbent has to be pressured by turns of events to announce his candidacy prematurely," he said.

The New York Times

The Republican Party in Islip denied him renomination, an unusual slap at a sitting incumbent that leaves him mounting a primary fight to keep his seat.

The New York Times

Though they did not win, the fact that Democrats managed to unseat two sitting incumbent opponents in a non-election year is significant.

The Guardian - Opinion

But McCrory remains so unpopular in urban and suburban parts of the state that Democrats in down-ballot races have tied their opponents to McCrory in negative ads, an unusual position for a sitting incumbent to find himself in.

Los Angeles Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

The overwhelming majority of winners on Tuesday in both the House and Senate races will be sitting incumbents, while relatively few will be neophytes with no background in politics.

The New York Times

A minimum of three sitting incumbents are certain to lose because there are two primary contests in California and one in New Jersey that pit one incumbent Democrat against another, meaning three Democrats now sitting in the House are going to come out on the losing end of the voting.

The New York Times

During the 1988 legislative session, Governor Wilkinson proposed an amendment to the Kentucky Constitution that would allow state officials, including the sitting incumbents, to succeed themselves in office once.

Wikipedia

"There are a number of elected officials sitting behind that incumbent candidate, all of whom want to be congressmen too," he said.

Huffington Post

"Maybe what's got to happen is the [National Republican Congressional Committee] or the conference has got to start sitting down with incumbents and say this is what you have to do to win, and not check some purity checklist," Galen said.

Huffington Post

As the iPhone got all full up things like the cost of user acquisition started to rise and the prevalence of incumbent games sitting at tops of charts became all too apparent.

TechCrunch

And, as you know, people were just not coming across with the kinds of resources that you needed to run, especially to face a refreshed Republican incumbent who was sitting on $11 million.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to someone currently holding a political office, use "sitting incumbent" to clearly indicate their current status, especially when discussing upcoming elections or potential challenges to their position.

Common error

Avoid using "sitting incumbent" when referring to someone who previously held the office but no longer does. Use "former incumbent" or "previous officeholder" instead to prevent confusion.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "sitting incumbent" functions as a noun phrase that identifies the person currently holding a specific office. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness. It's often used in political contexts to distinguish the current officeholder from challengers or former officeholders.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "sitting incumbent" is a grammatically sound and useful phrase to denote the current holder of an office, particularly in political settings. Ludwig confirms this, and while its usage is relatively rare, it provides clarity and specificity in identifying the current officeholder. Alternatives such as "current officeholder" or "incumbent in office" can be used for variety. Remembering to differentiate from “former incumbent” is key. Although the term appears most often in news sources, its neutral tone suits diverse writing contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

current officeholder

Replaces "sitting" with "current" and "incumbent" with "officeholder", focusing on the present occupancy of the office.

incumbent in office

Adds "in office" to emphasize the actual holding of the position.

present officeholder

Similar to 'current officeholder', but uses 'present' instead of 'current'.

current occupant of the office

Rephrases to highlight the occupancy aspect using different vocabulary.

incumbent official

Synonymous substitution of "official" for "incumbent".

the person currently in office

Expands the phrase to clearly state the individual's present role.

the reigning officeholder

Uses "reigning" to suggest a position of authority and current control.

the incumbent leader

Focuses on leadership aspect of the position.

the existing officeholder

Replaces 'sitting' with 'existing' to denote the current holder of the office.

the serving member

More general term that indicates active duty or service.

FAQs

What does "sitting incumbent" mean?

The term "sitting incumbent" refers to someone who currently holds a particular office or position, especially in politics.

How to use "sitting incumbent" in a sentence?

You can use "sitting incumbent" in a sentence like this: "The "sitting incumbent" is facing a tough challenge in the upcoming election."

What can I say instead of "sitting incumbent"?

You can use alternatives like "current officeholder", "incumbent in office", or "present officeholder" depending on the context.

Is it redundant to say "sitting incumbent"?

While "incumbent" already implies that someone is currently holding office, "sitting incumbent" can be used for emphasis or to avoid ambiguity, especially when comparing them to former officeholders.