Meanings
plural incentives
- Something that motivates, rouses, or encourages.
I have no incentive to do housework right now.
1 more example
It is tempting to speculate about the incentives or compulsions that might explain why anyone would take to the skies in [the] basket [of a balloon]: perhaps out of a desire to escape the gravity of this world or to get a preview of the next; […].
2013 June 7, David Simpson, “Fantasy of navigation”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 36Synonyms: carrot
comparative more incentive · superlative most incentive
- Inciting; encouraging or moving; rousing to action; stimulating.
Competency is of all other proportions the most incentive to industry.
1667, attributed to Richard Allestree, The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety. […], London: […] R. Norton for T. Garthwait, […], →OCLC - Serving to kindle or set on fire.
Part incentive reed / Provide, pernicious with one touch of fire.
1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSomething that motivates, rouses, or encourages.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna positive motivational influence
nounan additional payment (or other remuneration) to employees as a means of increasing output
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Medieval Latinincentīvus“that strikes up or sets the tune”
- Englishincentive
From Medieval Latin incentīvus (“that strikes up or sets the tune”), from incinō (“to strike up”), from in- (“in, on”) + canō (“to sing”) + -ive. The formation appears to have been influenced by incendō (“to set on fire”).
More words from Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian подбуда, стимул
- подбуда (podbuda)something that motivates
- стимул (stimul)something that motivates
- премия (premija)cash bonus
Catalan incentiu, incentiu
- incentiusomething that motivates
- incentiucash bonus
Chinese Mandarin 刺激, 誘因 /诱因
- 刺激 (cìjī)something that motivates
- 誘因 /诱因 (yòuyīn)something that motivates
- 獎勵 /奖励 (jiǎnglì)cash bonus
- 報酬 /报酬 (bàochóu)cash bonus
Czech pobídka
- pobídkacash bonus
Danish incitament, gulerod
- incitamentsomething that motivates
- gulerodsomething that motivates
Dutch drijfveer, aansporing
- drijfveersomething that motivates
- aansporingsomething that motivates
- incentiefsomething that motivates
- stimulanssomething that motivates
- prikkelsomething that motivates
- bonuscash bonus
- premiecash bonus
Esperanto stimulo, igilo
- stimulosomething that motivates
- igilosomething that motivates
- motivigosomething that motivates
- konvinkilosomething that motivates
Finnish kannustin, kannuste
- kannustinsomething that motivates
- kannustesomething that motivates
- insentiivisomething that motivates
- kiihokesomething that motivates
- virikesomething that motivates
- yllykesomething that motivates
- porkkanasomething that motivates
- palkkiocash bonus
- kannustuspalkkiocash bonus
- tulospalkkiocash bonus
- bonuscash bonus
French intérêt, motivation
- intérêtsomething that motivates
- motivationsomething that motivates
- incitantsomething that motivates
- récompensecash bonus
- primecash bonus
German Anreiz, Ansporn
- Anreizsomething that motivates
- Anspornsomething that motivates
- Incentivesomething that motivates
- Bonuscash bonus
Greek κίνητρο
- κίνητρο (kínitro)something that motivates
Hebrew תמריץ, תמריץ
- תמריץ (tamritz)something that motivates
- תמריץ (tamritz)cash bonus
Hungarian ösztönző, ösztönzés
- ösztönzősomething that motivates
- ösztönzéssomething that motivates
- ösztönzőcash bonus
Indonesian insentif
- insentifcash bonus
Irish spreagadh
- spreagadhsomething that motivates
Italian incentivo
- incentivosomething that motivates
Japanese 動機, 誘因
- 動機 (dōki)something that motivates
- 誘因 (yūin)something that motivates
- 刺激 (shigeki)something that motivates
- 報酬 (hōshū)cash bonus
- 賞与 (shōyo)cash bonus
Latin incitāmentum
- incitāmentumsomething that motivates
Māori whakapoapoa
- whakapoapoasomething that motivates
Persian مشوق
- مشوق (mošavveq)something that motivates
Polish zachęta, bodziec
- zachętasomething that motivates
- bodziecsomething that motivates
- bonuscash bonus
- premiacash bonus
Portuguese incentivo, motivação
- incentivosomething that motivates
- motivaçãosomething that motivates
- incentivocash bonus
Romanian stimulent
- stimulentsomething that motivates
Russian сти́мул, моти́в
- сти́мул (stímul)something that motivates
- моти́в (motív)something that motivates
- мотива́ция (motivácija)something that motivates
- поощре́ние (pooščrénije)something that motivates
- толчо́к (tolčók)something that motivates
- поощре́ние (pooščrénije)cash bonus
- пре́мия (prémija)cash bonus
- бо́нус (bónus)cash bonus
- вознагражде́ние (voznagraždénije)cash bonus
Spanish incentivo, aliciente
- incentivosomething that motivates
- alicientesomething that motivates
- incentivocash bonus
Swedish morot, incitament
- morotsomething that motivates
- incitamentsomething that motivates
Thai สิ่งจูงใจ
- สิ่งจูงใจsomething that motivates
Turkish teşvik, teşvik primi
- teşviksomething that motivates
- teşvik primicash bonus
Ukrainian сти́мул, спону́ка
- сти́мул (stýmul)something that motivates
- спону́ка (sponúka)something that motivates
- заохо́чення (zaoxóčennja)cash bonus
- пре́мія (prémija)cash bonus
- бо́нус (bónus)cash bonus
- винагоро́да (vynahoróda)cash bonus
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with incentive
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
incentive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/incentive
“incentive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/incentive. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “incentive,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/incentive.
Source: incentive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.