incentive

English Online Dictionary. What means incentive‎? What does incentive mean?

English

Etymology

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”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪnˈsɛntɪv/
• Rhymes: -ɛntɪv
• Hyphenation: in‧cen‧tive

Noun

incentive (plural incentives)

1. Something that motivates, rouses, or encourages.
2. A bonus or reward, often monetary, to work harder.

Antonyms

• disincentive

Derived terms

• eco-incentive
• tax incentive
• incent
• incentivize
• incentivise

Descendants

• → German: Incentive

Translations

Adjective

incentive (comparative more incentive, superlative most incentive)

1. Inciting; encouraging or moving; rousing to action; stimulating.
2. Serving to kindle or set on fire.

Further reading

• “incentive”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “incentive”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Vicentine

Galician

Verb

incentive

1. inflection of incentivar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Latin

Adjective

incentīve

1. vocative masculine singular of incentīvus

Portuguese

Verb

incentive

1. inflection of incentivar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Spanish

Verb

incentive

1. inflection of incentivar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative