enticement

Enticement is the act of enticing—attracting, alluring, or tempting someone to do something, especially something wrong or something they shouldn’t.

Enticement can also refer to the state of being enticed. Less commonly, enticement can refer to something that entices, as in The gift shop is filled with enticements. 

Enticement is sometimes confused with the word incitement, which means the act of encouraging, urging, prompting, or provoking someone to do something, especially something bad. Incitement is usually more aggressive and direct than enticement.

Example: The salary increase was tempting, but to be honest, no amount of enticement could have gotten me to take that job—it just wasn’t for me.

The first records of enticement come from around 1300. The base word, entice, is recorded earlier, in the 1200s. It comes from the Vulgar Latin verb intitiāre, which means “to incite” and derives from the Latin titiō, “piece of burning wood.”

Fittingly, the scent, sound, and warm glow of a crackling fire are an enticement to come closer to it—but getting too close could be harmful. The word seduction can mean something similar, but even more strongly implies that such a thing is tempting us to do the wrong thing. Enticement can also lead to doing good things, however, as in I was convinced to join the program through the enticement of several professors.

What are some other forms related to enticement?

• entice (verb)

What are some synonyms for enticement?

• allurement

What are some words that often get used in discussing enticement?

• tempt
• offer
• attract
• inducement

What are some words enticement may be commonly confused with?

• incitement

Enticement often involves persuading people to do things they shouldn’t, but this isn’t always the case.

As different as they are from each other, all wellness shows share at least one central enticement: the possibility of transformation—for subjects onscreen, the viewer at home or both https://t.co/c3mg6ewInN

— TIME (@TIME) July 24, 2020

“Anchor the eternity of love in your own soul… Lean toward the whispers of your own heart… Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge… But when it is your time don’t be afraid to stand up, speak up, and speak out against injustice.” https://t.co/PVph32FdQB

— Maria Popova (@brainpicker) July 19, 2020

"In January 2013, Tulsans Jason and Kristin Weis founded a nonprofit called The Demand Project, which exists to eradicate human trafficking, online enticement, child abuse imagery and the commercial sexual exploitation of children." https://t.co/FxQUnx7gPd

— The Tulsa Voice (@TheTulsaVoice) July 27, 2020

Is enticement used correctly in the following sentence?

How can a person be expected to resist such enticement?