incentivize
in-SEN-tih-vyze
/ɪnˈsɛntɪvaɪz/
To provide someone with a strong reason, motive, or encouragement to do something, often through financial or material rewards.
While 'motivate' can be purely emotional, 'incentivize' almost always implies a structured system of rewards or consequences.
The story behind the word. The Latin root 'incinere' literally meant 'to blow the trumpet' or 'strike up a tune' to inspire soldiers. Over time, this musical inspiration evolved into the noun 'incentive' (a stimulus). The verb 'incentivize' is a relatively modern creation, appearing in the mid-20th century as corporate compensation models became more complex.
Word relationships
- motivate: Motivate refers to inspiring internal drive, while incentivize focuses on external, structured rewards.
- encourage: Encourage is a gentle, supportive term, whereas incentivize is more transactional and strategic.
- deter: Deter means to discourage someone from doing something, typically through fear of consequences.
- discourage: Discourage means to deprive of courage or confidence, making an action less likely.
Commonly confused with
- inspire: Inspire fills someone with the urge to do something creative or noble, while incentivize is usually about practical rewards.
Word family
- incentive (noun): A thing that motivates or encourages one to do something.
Collocations
- incentivize behavior
- incentivize performance
- highly incentivized
- financial incentives
Example sentences
- "We need to restructure our commission plan to better incentivize our sales representatives to target larger enterprise clients." A sales team meeting.
- "The government is offering tax credits to incentivize homeowners to install solar panels." A government policy debate.
Memory hook
Think of 'incentive' + 'eyes'. You put a prize in front of someone's eyes to incentivize them to run faster. Put a prize in front of their eyes to make them move.
When not to use
Some language purists dislike this word, preferring 'encourage' or 'motivate'. Avoid it in highly traditional literary writing.
Fun facts
- The word 'incentivize' was heavily criticized by writers in the 1960s as ugly corporate jargon, but it is now widely accepted in standard English.
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