incentive

American  

[in-sen-tiv] / ɪnˈsɛn tɪv /

noun

• incentives
  plural

1. 

   something that incites or tends to incite to action or greater effort, as a reward offered for increased productivity.

   Synonyms:

   prod, goad, encouragement, impulse, incitement, spur, stimulus

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adjective

1. inciting, as to action; stimulating; provocative.

incentive British  

/ ɪnˈsɛntɪv /

noun

1. a motivating influence; stimulus

2. 1. an additional payment made to employees as a means of increasing production

   2. ( as modifier )

      an incentive scheme

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adjective

1. serving to incite to action

Synonym Usage

See motive.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• counterincentive
  noun
• preincentive
  noun
• superincentive
  noun
• nonincentive
  adjective
• incentively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• incentives
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of incentive

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Late Latin incentīvus “provocative,” in Latin: “setting the tune,” from incent(us) “played” (past participle of incinere “to play (an instrument, tunes),” from in- in- ² + -cinere, combining form of canere “to sing”) + -īvus -ive

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Explanation

If your mom wants you to mow the lawn but you don't feel like it, she might offer to treat you to ice cream after as an incentive. An incentive is something that stimulates you to take action or work harder. This noun dates back to Middle English, from Late Latin incentivum, from incentivus, "stimulating." In Latin, incentivus meant "setting the tune," from incinere, "to sing." The related English verb is incentivize. The less common verb incent was first used in the early 1980s, and has been criticized as business jargon.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

incentive incentives

In the view of U.S. negotiators, a Russian comeback to the European natural-gas market would create a powerful incentive for President Vladimir Putin to agree.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

The incentive would also offer a new feature allowing companies that commit to shooting two different productions in California to get a 5% boost in credits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

Hacegaba said there’s no timeline yet for when the per-move incentive program could launch.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

"A listed Jio must answer to minority shareholders… which structurally reduces its incentive to keep pricing suppressed."

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

The last thing he needs is an incentive.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

Those more attractive film and tax incentives typically include above-the-line costs like actors’ salaries and are often uncapped — California’s current program does not have these features.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

At the meeting in St Andrews in September, the Scottish FA proposed quotas, as well as financial incentives, in an attempt to increase game time for young Scottish players.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

After the vote, though, those incentives could flip.

From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2026

Besides proximity to power sources, many of the emerging locations offer attractive tax incentives and smoother permitting processes.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

Mike Burry was odd in his desire to remain insulated from public opinion, and even direct human contact, and to focus instead on hard data and the incentives that guide future human financial behavior.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

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Related Words

• encouragement
• enticement
• impetus
• motivation
• reason
• stimulus

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