incentive

Pluralincentives

1. 1
   nouncountable or uncountable

   Something that motivates, rouses, or encourages a person to act.

   The chance to travel was her main incentive for taking the job.

   Cities offer tax breaks as incentives for new businesses to move in.

   Similarmotivation, inducement, stimulus, encouragement, spur

   Oppositedeterrent, disincentive

   Note

   A word that began in music: Medieval Latin incentīvus meant "that strikes up or sets the tune", from incinō and ultimately canō, "to sing". An incentive is what sets the tune that action follows. It usually takes to plus a verb (no incentive to do housework) or for plus a noun or -ing form (an incentive for taking the job). The plural is natural when several motives are weighed together, as in incentives or compulsions.

2. 2
   nouncountable

   A bonus or reward, often monetary, offered to encourage someone to work harder.

   Sales staff receive a quarterly incentive based on their performance.

   The factory introduced production incentives to boost output during the busy season.

   Similarbonus, reward, inducement

3. 3
   adjective

   Serving to stir someone to action by encouraging or rousing them.

   Competency is of all other proportions the most incentive to industry.

   1667, attributed to Richard Allestree, The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety.

   Similarmotivating, stimulating, encouraging

   Oppositediscouraging

   Note

   The adjective takes to before whatever it rouses. A 1667 work attributed to Richard Allestree, The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety, calls competency "of all other proportions the most incentive to industry." It compares with more and most like any gradable adjective. Where a reader today might expect the noun, as in the motivating thing, this older use puts the stirring quality directly on the cause.

4. 4
   adjective

   Serving to kindle a flame or set something on fire.

   Part incentive reed / Provide, pernicious with one touch of fire.

   1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost

   Similarincendiary

   Note

   Here the word's spelling history becomes its meaning. Its Latin shape seems to have been pulled toward incendō, "to set on fire", so a word built on singing, the root behind the motivating noun, also picked up a spark. John Milton's Paradise Lost (1667) uses it literally, of an "incentive reed, pernicious with one touch of fire". It describes the material that catches and spreads flame, not the flame itself.

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