anti-incumbent

adjective

an·​ti-in·​cum·​bent
ˌan-tē-in-ˈkəm-bənt,
ˌan-tī- How to pronounce anti-incumbent (audio)
: characterized by or expressing opposition to or disapproval of current political officeholders
Some would argue that 1994 was a mere extension of the anti-incumbent mood in 1992 that toppled President George Bush …Donald R. Wolfensberger

Examples of anti-incumbent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley is hoping to stall the longstanding anti-incumbent midterm trends, which would hurt the GOP in 2026. Ross O'Keefe, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Dec. 2024 Even if every Republican senator comes around on all of Trump's picks, the president-elect's supporters have long memories -- and the strain of populism that is one of the country's dominant political drivers has piqued anti-incumbent fervor. Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 10 Dec. 2024 With voters’ mood showing no signs of brightening in the new year, the impact of the anti-incumbent surge is being felt not only by the politicians, like Ms. Harris, who were sent packing. Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Dec. 2024 Kenneth Cooper, Jim Lewis and Chris Nelson siphoned away nearly a third of the anti-incumbent vote, leaving Trantalis with 38% and Stern with 33%. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 7 Nov. 2024 The party was facing an uphill battle from the jump, with an anti-incumbent mood sweeping through other affluent democracies around the world. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2024 One is being the party that is not in control of the White House at a time when Biden has low approval ratings and there is an anti-incumbent mood across Western democracies. Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 3 Nov. 2024 Polls and election results in Canada, the U.K., France, Germany, Japan and South Korea all show this anti-incumbent tide. Axios, 25 Oct. 2024 Other campaigns, too, are watching with more than a little trepidation: if a latent anti-incumbent seed is blooming so late in Nebraska, where else might shockingly tight contests emerge? Make sense of what matters in Washington. Philip Elliott, TIME, 10 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anti-incumbent was in 1893

Dictionary Entries Near anti-incumbent

Cite this Entry

“Anti-incumbent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anti-incumbent. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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