incentive

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

From medieval Latin incentivus (“that strikes up or sets the tune”), from incinere (“to strike up”), from in (“in, on”) + canere (“to sing”). The formation appears to have been influenced by incendere ' to set on fire'.

Noun

incentive (plural incentives)

1. Something that motivates, rouses, or encourages.

   I have no incentive to do housework right now.

2. (orig. US, 1943) A bonus or reward, often monetary, to work harder.

   Management offered the sales team a $500 incentive for each car sold.

Antonyms

• disincentive

Derived terms

• tax incentive

Translations

something that motivates

Catalan: incentiu (ca) m. Finnish: kannustin, kannuste, insentiivi, kiihoke, virike, yllyke, porkkana French: intérêt (fr) m. German: Anreiz (de) m., Ansporn (de) m. Hebrew: תמריץ (tamritz)

Hungarian: ösztönző (hu) Polish: zachęta (pl) f. Spanish: incentivo (es) m. Swedish: morot (sv) c.

cash bonus

Catalan: incentiu (ca) m. Czech: pobídka (cs) f. Finnish: palkkio, kannustuspalkkio, tulospalkkio, bonus

German: Bonus (de) m. Hebrew: תמריץ (tamritz) Hungarian: ösztönző (hu) Polish: bonus (pl) m.

External links

• incentive in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• incentive in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

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Spanish

Verb

incentive (infinitive incentivar)

1. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of incentivar.
2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of incentivar.
3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of incentivar.