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Incur vs. Occur
Incur bears a strong family resemblance to another English verb, occur. If you are confused by their similarities, a glance back at their Latin roots might help you to tell them apart.
Both words have a common root in Latin currere, meaning “to run.” In the case of incur, currere was combined with Latin in “into,” which produced the meaning “to run into.” In English, the one who incurs, or “runs into,” is most often a person and the thing incurred is usually some self-inflicted negative consequence (such as a debt or somebody’s foul temper). The ancestor of occur, by contrast, paired Latin ob “in the way” with currere, producing the basic meaning “to run in the way of,” or “to present itself.” In English, the verb came to apply strictly to events, things, or ideas; something (such as a tornado) that occurs, or “presents itself,” appears or happens; a thought that occurs, or “presents itself” to someone, comes into that person’s mind.
To summarize: a person (or something composed of people, like a company) incurs, or becomes subject to, something negative; something occurs, or happens, or an idea occurs to, or comes into the mind of, someone.
Examples of incur in a Sentence
Ben Marcus, Time, 8 Jan. 2001
Shakespeare … took plots and characters from wherever he pleased, rarely acknowledging sources, and he saw so little sanctity in his own words that anyone could print them who cared to incur the expense—which did not include royalties to Shakespeare.
—Walter Kendrick, New York Times Book Review, 29 Oct. 1989
To be too good-looking is sometimes to incur the dislike, if not the hatred, of the ordinary-looking.
—Joseph Epstein, The Middle of My Tether, 1983
What did he do to incur such wrath?
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2026
Add this device to your carry-on or checked bag if you’re stressed about incurring overweight bag fees while traveling—it’ll hardly take up any space in your suitcase.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026
Curlers anticipate debates and rule changes to come, such as whether video replays should be used to assist rulings, and what penalties curlers who break the rules incur.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 16 Feb. 2026
Long before the Las Cuatro Milpas real estate was put up for sale, both the business and the property had incurred significant tax debt for several years.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incur
Cite this Entry
“Incur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incur. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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incur
transitive verb
