incur

English

Alternative forms

• encur

Etymology

From Middle English incurren, from Anglo-Norman encurir, Middle French encourir, from Old French encorre, from Latin incurrere.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈkɜː/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈkɝ/

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• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)

Verb

incur (third-person singular simple present incurs, present participle incurring, simple past and past participle incurred)

1. (transitive) to bring upon oneself or expose oneself to, especially something inconvenient, harmful, or onerous; to become liable or subject to.

   Near-synonym: contract (debts, etc.)

   Coordinate terms: experience, encounter, sustain

   Cruelty incurs calamity.

   • 1891, “The Hellenica”, in Henry Graham Dakyns, transl., The works of Xenophon, Book 5, Chapter 3:

     [T]he master in his wrath may easily incur worse evil himself than he inflicts—[...]

   • 1910, Nicholas Machiavelli, translated by Ninian Hill Thomson, The Prince, Chapter XIX:

     And here it is to be noted that hatred is incurred as well on account of good actions as of bad;

   1. (chiefly law, accounting) To render (somebody, or oneself) liable or subject to.

      Synonym: occasion

      Near-synonyms: entail, invoke

      • 1861, Francis Colburn Adams, “Chapter VII”, in An Outcast:

        The least neglect of duty will incur[...] the penalty of thirty-nine well laid on in the morning.

      • 1605 August (first performance), Geo[rge] Chapman, Ben Ionson, Ioh[n] Marston, Eastward Hoe. , London: [George Eld] for William Aspley, published September 1605, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

        Lest you incur me much more damage in my fame than you have done me pleasure in preserving my life.

2. (obsolete, transitive) to enter or pass into
3. (obsolete, intransitive) to fall within a period or scope; to occur; to run into danger

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Translations

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• Runic, runic