What does "encouragement" mean?

1. (an incentive) something that makes a process or activity more likely to happen or succeed. 2. (the feeling of being encouraged) the positive feeling you get when you believe you can succeed.

encouragement

US //ɛnˈkɝɪdʒmənt// UK //ɛnkˈʌɹɪdʒmənt// en·cour·age·ment

1 an incentive (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

something that makes a process or activity more likely to happen or succeed.

something that serves as an incentive, stimulus, or booster for an activity or development.

Example

The government offered tax breaks as encouragement for small businesses to grow.

Example

The new policy served as a significant encouragement for private investment in renewable energy infrastructure across the region.
- deterrent
- hindrance
2 the feeling of being encouraged (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal

the positive feeling you get when you believe you can succeed.

the internal state of feeling motivated or optimistic due to external support or positive progress.

Example

He found great encouragement in the fact that his health was improving every day.

Example

The team drew encouragement from the preliminary results, which suggested their hypothesis was correct despite earlier setbacks.
- optimism
- motivation
- despair
- pessimism

Origin

Borrowed from Middle French encoragement.