incentive

American  

[in-sen-tiv] / ɪnˈsɛn tɪv /

noun

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

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

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

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

Getting there is not enough to justify a longer tenure, where's the incentive to do well in the US?

From BBC • May 28, 2026

You will never hear a financial expert with an incentive tied to your capital tell you to go to cash.

From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026

Stablecoins also have an incentive to “reach for yield,” that is to back their coins with slightly riskier or less liquid assets with higher returns.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

But a tax attorney in Los Angeles, Andrew Gradman, wasn’t convinced the tax incentive was enough to curb a landlord’s appetite for the passive income of steady rent payments.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

Yet there should remain an incentive for parents to cultivate their children.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Related Words

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