What does incur mean?
Incur is a formal verb meaning to become subject to a cost, loss, penalty, debt, or other consequence. It is especially common in business, legal, financial, and public-policy writing: a company may incur expenses, a person may incur debt, and an organization may incur criticism or reputational damage. The word can also mean to bring a consequence upon oneself, as in “They incurred the risk of losing their home.” Its use often signals that the consequence is undesirable, difficult, or at least worth attention. Although incur may describe any consequence, it is particularly frequent with costs, losses, penalties, injuries, risks, and obligations. The term is useful when the emphasis is not merely on an event happening but on someone becoming liable to, affected by, or responsible for the result.
verbTo become subject to, or bring upon oneself, something such as a cost, loss, penalty, debt, or other undesirable consequence.
- To become subject to or experience a cost, loss, penalty, debt, damage, or other undesirable consequence.
- To bring such a consequence upon oneself.
"The company incurred significant losses after the product failed to meet expectations."
"The new regulations may cause businesses to incur higher operating costs."
"By failing to read the contract carefully, he incurred an obligation he had not intended to accept."
Incur literally means “run into”: it began as a word for entering or attacking, but today it usually describes running into an unpleasant consequence.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does incur come from?
Incur comes from Latin incurere, literally “to run into,” formed from the prefix in- and currere, “to run.” The Latin verb could mean to enter, encounter, or attack. In Middle English, incuren adopted the sense of running into an opponent or coming upon an expense or penalty. Over time, its dominant modern use developed toward becoming subject to a loss, cost, or other adverse consequence. Related forms include incursion and incurrence, while concurrent belongs to a wider family of English words based on Latin currere.
Related word forms
How incur is actually used
The word is common in formal and professional contexts, especially finance, law, insurance, government, and business. It usually has an adverse or cautionary connotation, but the consequence need not always be strictly a loss.
Easily confused with incur
Occur means to happen or take place, whereas incur means to become subject to a cost, loss, penalty, or other consequence.