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

Mr. Mansour argues that Kalshi’s fee-per-transaction model means it doesn’t make money off of losers, ostensibly limiting its incentive to encourage addiction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

The military aid package to the BIR, officials said, served the dual purpose of adding a new incentive for Cameroon to cooperate on accepting U.S. deportees while also supporting U.S. counterterrorism efforts in the region.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

The ports plan to jointly spend $60 million from that fund on a per-move incentive program that would award battery-electric truck operators $60 for each one-way trip to or from the ports.

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

But as soon as he felt the first chinks in his faith, he lost all incentive to fight and opened the door to death.

From "Night" by Elie Wiesel

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

Georgia officials had been wooing Audi for years, promising incentives and infrastructure improvements in the area.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

So through a complicated, haphazard, and constantly readjusted web of economic, social, and moral incentives, modern society does its best to militate against crime.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

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Related Words

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

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