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# incipient

adjective (incipient; formal)

«incipient» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (formal) Just beginning to happen or to show: an incipient cold, incipient baldness. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/incipient/#m1)
2. In an early stage, before it is fully grown or obvious. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/incipient/#m2)

### In the lessons

A formal word in medicine, science and books: an incipient storm, crack or illness is one just starting. In everyday speech people say «starting», «early», «beginning». Phrases: incipient signs, an incipient crack, at an incipient stage.

### Examples

- The doctor spotted an incipient infection and gave him medicine. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/incipient/#x1)
- An incipient crack in the dam worried the engineers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/incipient/#x2)
- Grandad has incipient baldness, he jokes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/incipient/#x3)
- There were incipient signs of spring: tiny green buds. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/incipient/#x4)
- The storm was still incipient, just a dark line of clouds. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/incipient/#x5)
- The gardener caught the incipient disease before it spread to the other roses. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/incipient/#x6)

### Note

Formal. Pronounced in-SIP-ee-unt. Do not confuse with «insipid» (dull, tasteless).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «incipient» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/incipient/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«incipient» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/incipient.html) on Mova free.