Which word means just starting or in the beginning stages?

• A. Incline
• B. Incidence
• C. Implicate
• D. Incipient

Answer: (D)

The concept tested is finding a word that describes something in its early stage of development. Incipient fits because it specifically means just beginning to exist or develop, or in the early signs of something. You can say an incipient trend, incipient symptoms, or an incipient phase to signal that things are starting to form but aren’t fully developed yet.

Why the others don’t fit as well: incline refers to a slope or a tendency toward something, not the start of something. incidence means the frequency or occurrence of something, which is about how often it happens rather than how early it’s happening. implicate means to show someone’s involvement or to imply something about someone, which has nothing to do with being in the early stage.

So, incipient is the most accurate word for “just starting or in the beginning stages.”