What does incentive mean?

Pronunciation

/ɪnˈsɛntɪv/ 🔊

Part of Speech

Noun

Definition

A motivation or influence that prompts a person to take a specific action or achieve a particular goal, often in the form of a reward or benefit.

Examples

• The company offered a bonus as an incentive for meeting sales targets.
• The possibility of a promotion served as an incentive to work harder.

Synonyms

• Motivation
• Inducement

Antonyms

• Deterrent

Additional Information

Incentives can be monetary or non-monetary, and are often used in various contexts such as business, education, and sports to drive performance and achievement. Effective incentives can boost productivity, morale, and overall success. Incentives can also be used to encourage desired behaviors, such as recycling or energy conservation. In some cases, incentives can create unintended consequences, such as over-reliance on rewards or a focus on short-term gains over long-term goals.

Incentives can be categorized into different types, including financial incentives, recognition incentives, and opportunity incentives. Financial incentives, such as bonuses or commissions, are the most common type. Recognition incentives, such as awards or public recognition, can motivate individuals to strive for excellence. Opportunity incentives, such as training or career advancement opportunities, can foster personal and professional growth.

Etymology

The word “incentive” originates from the Latin words “in” meaning “in” or “on” and “centivus” meaning “moving” or “impelling”. The term has been in use since the 15th century, initially referring to something that stimulates or prompts action.

Usage Notes

Incentives are commonly used in business and management contexts, but can also be applied in personal and social settings. When using incentives, it’s essential to consider the target audience, desired outcome, and potential consequences to ensure the incentive is effective and does not create unintended results.

Cultural References

Incentives have been featured in various popular culture media, such as in films like “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room”, which highlight the use of incentives in business and finance.

Idiomatic Expressions or Phrases

• “Carrot and stick” – refers to the use of incentives (carrot) and penalties (stick) to motivate behavior.

Related Words or Phrases

• Motivation
• Reward
• Benefit

Collocations

• “financial incentive”
• “performance incentive”
• “sales incentive”

Frequency of Use

Incentive is a moderately common word in modern language, frequently used in business, education, and everyday conversation to describe motivators or rewards.

Common Misspellings

• incintive
• incetive
• incentvie