What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Onerous vs Incumbent - What's the difference?

onerous | incumbent |

As adjectives the difference between onerous and incumbent

is that onerous is imposing]] or [[constitute|constituting a physical, mental, or figurative load which can be borne only with effort while incumbent is imposed on someone as an obligation, especially due to one's office.

As a noun incumbent is

the current holder of an office, such as ecclesiastical benefice or an elected office.

onerous

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • imposing]] or [[constitute, constituting a physical, mental, or figurative load which can be borne only with effort.
  • * 1820 , , "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow":
    • That all this might not be too onerous on the purses of his rustic patrons, who are apt to consider the costs of schooling a grievous burden, and schoolmasters as mere drones, he had various ways of rendering himself both useful and agreeable.
  • * 1848 , , Shirley , ch. 13:
    • Again, and more intensely than ever, she desired a fixed occupation,—no matter how onerous , how irksome.
  • * 1910 , , "The Golden Poppy" in Revolution and Other Essays :
    • [I]t has become an onerous duty, a wearisome and distasteful task.

    Synonyms

    * (burdensome) demanding, difficult, taxing, wearing

    Derived terms

    * onerously

    Related terms

    * exonerate * exoneration * onus

    incumbent

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Imposed on someone as an obligation, especially due to one's office.
    • Proper behavior is incumbent on all holders of positions of trust.
  • * Sprat
    • All men, truly zealous, will perform those good works that are incumbent on all Christians.
  • Lying; resting; reclining; recumbent.
  • * Sir H. Wotton
    • two incumbent figures, gracefully leaning upon it
  • * Addison
    • to move the incumbent load they try
  • (botany, geology) Resting on something else; in botany, said of anthers when lying on the inner side of the filament, or of cotyledons when the radicle lies against the back of one of them.
    • (Gray)
  • (zoology) Bent downwards so that the ends touch, or rest on, something else.
    • the incumbent toe of a bird
  • Being the current holder of an office or a title.
    • If the incumbent senator dies, he is replaced by a person appointed by the governor.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The current holder of an office, such as ecclesiastical benefice or an elected office.
  • *2012 , The Economist, 06 Oct 2012 issue, The first presidential debate: Back in the centre, back in the game
  • *:Mr Obama’s problems were partly structural. An incumbent' must defend the realities and compromises of government, while a challenger is freer to promise the earth, details to follow. Mr Obama’s odd solution was to play both ' incumbent and challenger, jumping from a defence of his record to indignation at such ills as over-crowded classrooms and tax breaks for big oil companies.
  • (business) A holder of a position as supplier to a market or market segment that allows the holder to earn above-normal profits.
  • *2012 , , Sep 29th 2012 issue, Schumpeter: Fixing the capitalist machine
  • *:American capitalism is becoming like its European cousin: established firms with the scale and scope to deal with a growing thicket of regulations are doing well, but new companies are withering on the vine or selling themselves to incumbents .

    • See also

    * ("incumbent" on Wikipedia) ----