Incipient
[in-SIP-ee-ənt]
Part of speech: adjective
Origin: Latin, late 16th century
1.
In an initial stage; beginning to happen or develop.
2.
(of a person) developing into a specified type or role.
Examples of Incipient in a sentence
"He could feel incipient excitement building up before his birthday."
"We started out as colleagues, but we're incipient friends."
About Incipient
The meaning of incipient changes slightly, depending on if it's being used to describe a thing or a person. As a person: incipient means you have the potential to develop into the role. For a thing: it's in the early stages.
Did you Know?
This adjective got its start as a noun in the 16th century. Incipient meant a beginner. Today you could use novice, amateur, apprentice, initiate, or recruit as a noun for someone just starting out.
