disincentivize

American  

[dis-in-sen-ti-vahyz] / ˌdɪs ɪnˈsɛn tɪˌvaɪz /

verb (used with object)

disincentivized, disincentivizing

1. to discourage or deter by removing incentives: More affordable cholesterol-lowering medication may disincentivize people from adopting a vegetarian diet.

   The expiration of tax credits will disincentivize future participation in the energy-efficiency program.

   More affordable cholesterol-lowering medication may disincentivize people from adopting a vegetarian diet.

---

Etymology

Origin of disincentivize

First recorded in 1985–90; dis- ¹ ( def. ) + incentivize ( def. )

Example Sentences

Alan Greenspan, then-chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, argued for increasing the gas tax to as high as 30 cents a gallon—which would be roughly $2 in today’s dollars—to disincentivize gas consumption.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

The league made it harder for the worst teams to secure the best prospects in a bid to disincentivize teams from copying the Sabres’ dismal playbook.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

"Betting markets incentivize being right and disincentivize being wrong. If you're right you make money, if you're wrong you lose money," said Crane, the Rutgers professor.

From Salon • Dec. 3, 2024

“These bans disincentivize the far safer product and move people back to a product that’s going to kill one in two of them,” Douglas says.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 1, 2024

But when fees are set at arbitrarily high levels, they disincentivize new home building and add to the country’s housing affordability challenges, causing strain for renters and new home buyers.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2024