![[P]](http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/premium_mh.gif){kind=small}
in·cen·tive 
Audio Help [in-sen-tiv] Pronunciation Key
Audio Help [in-sen-tiv] Pronunciation Key –noun
–adjective
| 1. | something that incites or tends to incite to action or greater effort, as a reward offered for increased productivity. |
| 2. | inciting, as to action; stimulating; provocative. |
| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
incentive
To learn more about incentive visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| in·cen·tive
Audio Help (ĭn-sěn'tĭv) Pronunciation Key
n. Something, such as the fear of punishment or the expectation of reward, that induces action or motivates effort. adj. Serving to induce or motivate: an incentive bonus for high productivity. [Middle English, from Late Latin incentīvum, from neuter of incentīvus, inciting, from Latin, setting the tune, from incentus, past participle of incinere, to sound : in-, intensive pref.; see in-2 + canere, to sing; see kan- in Indo-European roots.] |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
incentive
1432, from L.L. incentivum, noun use of neut. L. adj. incentivus "setting the tune" (in L.L. "inciting"), from stem of incinere "strike up," from in- "in, into" + canere "sing" (see chant). Sense infl. by association with incendere "to kindle." The adj. use, in ref. to a system of rewards meant to encourage harder work, first attested 1943 in jargon of the U.S. war economy; as a noun, in this sense, from 1948.
| Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper |
| incentive | |
noun | |
| 1. | a positive motivational influence [ant: deterrence] |
| 2. | an additional payment (or other remuneration) to employees as a means of increasing output [syn: bonus] |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
incentive [inˈsentiv] noun
something that encourages etc
Example: Hope of promotion was an incentive to hard work.
Example: Hope of promotion was an incentive to hard work.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary, © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd. |
Incentive
In*cen"tive\, a. [L. incentivus, from incinere to strike up or set the tune; pref. in- + canere to sing. See Enchant, Chant.]1. Inciting; encouraging or moving; rousing to action; stimulative. Competency is the most incentive to industry. --Dr. H. More. 2. Serving to kindle or set on fire. [R.] Part incentive reed Provide, pernicious with one touch of fire. --Milton.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
Incentive
In*cen"tive\, n. [L. incentivum.] That which moves or influences the mind, or operates on the passions; that which incites, or has a tendency to incite, to determination or action; that which prompts to good or ill; motive; spur; as, the love of money, and the desire of promotion, are two powerful incentives to action. The greatest obstacles, the greatest terrors that come in their way, are so far from making them quit the work they had begun, that they rather prove incentives to them to go on in it. --South. Syn: Motive; spur; stimulus; incitement; encouragement; inducement; influence.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
View results from: Dictionary | Thesaurus | Encyclopedia | All Reference | the Web
Share This: 
Perform a new search, or try your search for "incentive" at:
- Amazon.com - Shop for books, music and more
- Reference.com - Encyclopedia Search
- Reference.com - Web Search powered by Google
- Thesaurus.com - Search for synonyms and antonyms
