disincentive

D2I1S1I1N1C3E1N1T1I1V4E1
/ˌdɪsɪnˈsɛntɪv/

noun

That which discourages a particular behaviour; a deterrent.

Similar
Opposite

Meanings

noundisincentive (plural disincentives)

plural disincentives

  1. That which discourages a particular behaviour; a deterrent.
    1 more example

    CDC guidelines issued in July called for voluntary HIV testing of all health care workers, but also recommended that those who are found HIV positive go before a local board that could advise them not to perform a list of "exposure-prone" procedures. AIDS activists and health care workers decried the guidelines, arguing that they served as a disincentive for health workers to seek HIV testing. They also charged that the recommendations legitimized public fear about HIV transmission during surgical or dental procedures.

    1991 December 8, Jacob Smith Yang, “'Invasive Procedures' Dropped?”, in Gay Community News, volume 19, number 21, page 1

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite

nouna negative motivational influence

Similar
Opposite
Broader
rational motive
Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  2. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
  3. Proto-Indo-European*d(w)is-
  4. Proto-Italic*dis-
  5. Latindis-
  6. Old Frenchdes-
  7. Latindis-
  8. Middle Englishdis-
  9. Englishdis-
  10. Englishincentive
  11. Englishdisincentive

From dis- + incentive.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish hillitsevä tekijä, pidäke
  • hillitsevä tekijäsomething that discourages
  • pidäkesomething that discourages
Greek αντικίνητρο
  • αντικίνητρο (antikínitro)something that discourages
Polish antybodziec
  • antybodziecsomething that discourages
Portuguese desincentivo
  • desincentivosomething that discourages
Spanish desincentivo
  • desincentivosomething that discourages

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with disincentive

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

disincentive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disincentive

MLA

“disincentive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disincentive. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “disincentive,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disincentive.

Source: disincentive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.