incipient

adjective

in-ˈsi-pē-ənt How to pronounce incipient (audio)
Definition of incipientnext
as in nascent
beginning to come into existence I have an incipient dislike and distrust of that guy, and I only met him this morning

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of incipient Even incipient technologies like quantum computing rely on specialized fabrication and precision engineering. — Eric Kutcher, Fortune, 13 May 2026 Their evident fondness for one another, glowing warmly alongside all their sniping and whispering and eye-rolling, allows all the nightmares in Big Mistakes to feel like a lark rather than an incipient calamity. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026 Now, the Iran war threatens to widen an incipient generational divide within the GOP. — Ronald Brownstein, Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2026 His incipient political ascent has been marred by tragedy—41 people died and more than 80 were injured in a stampede at a TVK rally in 2025. — Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for incipient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incipient
  1. nascent
  2. initial
  3. first
Adjective
  • Founded in 1967 as a chemistry supply company to serve the then nascent semiconductor industry, Applied Materials has grown into the world’s largest provider of chip making equipment.
    — Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
  • No hurricanes have yet been recorded there this season, thanks largely to fiercer upper-level winds tearing apart nascent storms.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of nascent
Adjective
  • When no one responds to the initial greeting, the caller tries again.
    — Sam Corbin, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • In the case of 3/1, 5/1 and 7/1 ARMs — three very common types — the initial term is three, five and seven years, respectively.
    — Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of initial
Adjective
  • Ukraine received no warning from its partners ahead of the first wave of attacks, and information about a second wave arrived too late for air raid sirens to be activated in time, air force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said on national television.
    — SAMYA KULLAB, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The model became the first real hit in the emerging athletic shoe industry.
    — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of first

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Cite this Entry

“Incipient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incipient. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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