incentive

Pluralincentives

1. 1
   nouncountable or uncountable

   Something that makes a person want to do something.

   Like a carrot held in front of a donkey to make it keep walking.

   The free pizza was an incentive to come to the early meeting.

   Good grades give students an incentive to keep studying.

   Similarmotivation, inducement, stimulus, encouragement, spur

   Oppositedeterrent, disincentive

   Note
2. 2
   nouncountable

   Extra money or a prize given to make people work harder.

   The store gives a cash incentive to workers who sell the most.

   Drivers get an extra incentive when they make all their deliveries on time.

   Similarbonus, reward, inducement

3. 3
   adjective

   Making someone want to act, by stirring them up or encouraging 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.Here, incentive means encouraging people to act, pushing them to work hard.

   Similarmotivating, stimulating, encouraging

   Oppositediscouraging

   Note
4. 4
   adjective

   Able to start a fire or make things burn.

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

   1667, John Milton, Paradise LostHere, incentive means able to set something on fire.

   Similarincendiary

   Note

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