Incentive

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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.


     [1913 Webster]
  
           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.
          [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Incentive \In*cen"tive\, a. [L. incentivus, from incinere to
     strike up or set the tune; pref. in- + canere to sing. See
     {Enchant}, {Chant}.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. Inciting; encouraging or moving; rousing to action;
        stimulative.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Competency is the most incentive to industry. --Dr.
                                                    H. More.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Serving to kindle or set on fire. [R.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Part incentive reed
              Provide, pernicious with one touch of fire.
        --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  incentive
       n 1: a positive motivational influence [syn: {inducement}, {motivator}]
            [ant: {disincentive}]
       2: an additional payment (or other remuneration) to employees
          as a means of increasing output [syn: {bonus}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  55 Moby Thesaurus words for "incentive":
     agitational, agitative, bait, bribe, carrot, catalyst, clout,
     compulsion, drive, driving force, encouragement, enticement,
     fillip, fomenting, goad, impellent, impelling force, impetus,
     impulse, impulsion, incendiary, incitement, inciting, incitive,
     inducement, inflammatory, instigating, instigative, interest,
     invitation, irresistible force, lure, moment, momentum, motivation,
     motive power, payment, percentage, persuasive, power, prod, profit,
     propulsion, provocation, rabble-rousing, reward, spur, stimulant,
     stimulation, stimulative, stimulus, sweetener, sweetening, thrust,
     whet