disincentive
Americannoun
noun
adjective
Etymology
Origin of disincentive
Explanation
A disincentive makes you not want to do something. The possibility of getting an expensive ticket is one disincentive for speeding on the highway. Use the noun disincentive to mean something that discourages you from taking some action, instead of motivating you to try the way an incentive does. A library fine is a disincentive from keeping books for too long, and the fear that you'll be rejected is a disincentive from applying to a competitive college. The Latin prefix dis is key here: it means either "a lack of" or "do the opposite of."
Vocabulary lists containing disincentive
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In postwar America, the 40-hour week became the norm for millions of workers, with overtime pay acting as a disincentive for employers to require longer hours.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 2025
Some also argue that this can disincentive councils from addressing the root problem, as empty homes bring them more income through the premium tax rates.
From BBC • Aug. 19, 2025
“But all of these things collectively might provide a disincentive to bad actors to once again try to undermine legitimate elections and target our public servants.”
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 8, 2024
These factors create a massive financial disincentive to actually solve our planetary crisis.
From Salon • Jun. 3, 2024
The intended restricted uses of early writing provided a positive disincentive for devising less ambiguous writing systems.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
