Word: incipient (adjective)

Associations

"Incipient" means something that is just beginning or starting to develop. It describes an early stage of something, often before it becomes fully formed or obvious.

• The incipient stages of a project. This means the project is just starting.
• Incipient signs of illness. This means the first small signs that someone might be getting sick.
• An incipient problem in the system. This means a problem just starting to appear but not yet serious.

A similar word is "initial," but "incipient" often suggests something is growing or developing, not just the first moment in time.

Substitution

You can replace "incipient" with:

• beginning
• emerging
• developing
• early

Each word changes the feeling slightly. For example, "developing" suggests growth, while "beginning" is more neutral.

Deconstruction

"Incipient" comes from Latin "incipere," which means "to begin." The root "cip" means "take" or "seize," and the prefix "in-" means "in" or "into." So, it literally means "taking in" or "starting."

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you noticed an incipient change in your life or work?
• How would you describe an incipient idea compared to a fully formed idea?
• What kind of things around you could be described as incipient right now?