Origin: Latin suffix -ive
Incentive has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
a positive motivational influence
"The company offered a bonus as an incentive to boost employee productivity."
Something that motivates, rouses, or encourages.
"The promise of a bonus served as a strong incentive for the employees to work harder."
In plain English: An incentive is something that encourages you to do something by offering a reward or benefit.
"The company offered a cash bonus as an incentive for employees who reached their sales targets early this year."
Usage: An incentive is an external factor like money or praise that motivates someone to take a specific action. Use this word when referring to tangible rewards rather than internal desires such as passion or curiosity.
Inciting; encouraging or moving; rousing to action; stimulating.
"The manager's inspiring speech served as a powerful incentive that rallied the entire team to meet their ambitious goals."
In plain English: An incentive is something that encourages you to do something because it offers a reward or benefit.
"There is no incentive to work hard when there are no rewards for success."
The word incentive comes from Medieval Latin incentīvus, meaning "that strikes up or sets the tune." It entered English as a noun describing something that motivates action.