incumbency

Etymology

incumbent + -cy

noun

1. The state of being incumbent.
2. An obligation or duty.
3. A tenure.
4. (figurative) Benefice, lucrative position or possession.
   The early antitrust reformers warned that even beyond its effect on prices, economic power could buy influence in Congress. Monopolies don’t just dominate their own industries, Justice Louis Brandeis said in 1933; they monopolize political power as well, which allows them to protect their incumbency and stifle competition in myriad ways. 2016 October, Derek Thompson, “America’s Monopoly Problem”, in The Atlantic
   ORR believes the two companies have incumbency advantages dating back to privatisation. May 19 2021, “Network News: ORR: signalling market lacks sufficient competition”, in RAIL, number 931, page 23
   They do so on behalf of the fossil fuel industry, animal farming, finance, construction firms, car manufacturers and airline companies, but also on behalf of something bigger than any of those interests: the power of incumbency. 2022-07-18, George Monbiot, “This heatwave has eviscerated the idea that small changes can tackle extreme weather”, in The Guardian