incur

verb

in·​cur in-ˈkər 

incurred; incurring

transitive verb

: to become liable or subject to : bring down upon oneself

incur expenses

Did you know?

Incur vs. Occur

Incur bears a strong family resemblance to another English verb, occur. If you are confused by their similarities, a glance back at their Latin roots might help you to tell them apart.

Both words have a common root in Latin currere, meaning “to run.” In the case of incur, currere was combined with Latin in “into,” which produced the meaning “to run into.” In English, the one who incurs, or “runs into,” is most often a person and the thing incurred is usually some self-inflicted negative consequence (such as a debt or somebody’s foul temper). The ancestor of occur, by contrast, paired Latin ob “in the way” with currere, producing the basic meaning “to run in the way of,” or “to present itself.” In English, the verb came to apply strictly to events, things, or ideas; something (such as a tornado) that occurs, or “presents itself,” appears or happens; a thought that occurs, or “presents itself” to someone, comes into that person’s mind.

To summarize: a person (or something composed of people, like a company) incurs, or becomes subject to, something negative; something occurs, or happens, or an idea occurs to, or comes into the mind of, someone.

Examples of incur in a Sentence

Submitting students to the rigors of learning seemed only to incur the wrath of many of them … —Ben Marcus, Time, 8 Jan. 2001

Shakespeare … took plots and characters from wherever he pleased, rarely acknowledging sources, and he saw so little sanctity in his own words that anyone could print them who cared to incur the expense—which did not include royalties to Shakespeare. —Walter Kendrick, New York Times Book Review, 29 Oct. 1989

To be too good-looking is sometimes to incur the dislike, if not the hatred, of the ordinary-looking. —Joseph Epstein, The Middle of My Tether, 1983

What did he do to incur such wrath?

Recent Examples on the Web

And for travelers whose luggage never seems to make it to the end of an excursion without incurring some kind of damage, Lindquist’s customer service continues after the purchase is completed. —Lindsey Tramuta Roxanne Fequiere Luke Fortney Gisela Williams Megan O’Sullivan, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025

The company incurred $3.5 million in pre-tax restructuring costs during the quarter. —Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Jan. 2025

These earnings are significantly higher, despite higher compliance costs being incurred because of new regulations implemented starting in 2010 after the 2007-2009 financial crisis. —Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025

Southwest said customers who want to adjust their plans can rebook or travel standby within 14 days of their original travel date without incurring additional charges. —Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 5 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English incurren, from Latin incurrere, literally, to run into, from in- + currere to run — more at car

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

incur

verb

in·​cur in-ˈkər 

incurred; incurring

1

: to meet with (as an inconvenience)

incur expenses

2

: to bring upon oneself

incur punishment

Etymology

from Latin incurrere "to meet with," literally, "to run into," from in- "in, into" and currere "to run" — related to current, occur

Legal Definition

incur

transitive verb

in·​cur in-ˈkər 

incurred; incurring

: to become liable or subject to : bring down upon oneself

incur obligations

incur expenses