incentive
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.something that makes you want to do something, like a reward for working hard.
n.a thing that motivates or encourages someone to do something; often a formal reward offered by an organisation.
Simple“The company offered a cash bonus as an incentive for finishing the project early.”
In context“The government is providing tax incentives to encourage small businesses to invest in renewable energy technology.”
UsageCommonly used with the preposition 'to' followed by an infinitive, or 'for' followed by a noun.
SynonymsAntonymsdeterrentdiscouragement - 02 C1 Advanced
adj.describing something that is designed to encourage you to act.
adj.serving to incite or rouse to action; typically used in technical or formal contexts regarding motivation.
Simple“The manager used incentive words to get the team excited about the new goal.”
In context“The report highlighted the incentive effect of the new commission structure on the sales department's overall performance.”
UsageUsually placed before the noun it modifies.
Synonyms
Usage economic incentive · have incentive
From Medieval Latin incentīvus (“that strikes up or sets the tune”), from incinō (“to strike up”), from in- (“in, on”) + canō (“to sing”). The formation appears to have been influenced by incendō (“to set on fire”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.