incentives

NOUN

lure, inducement

Synonyms

STRONGEST

encouragement enticement impetus motivation reason stimulus

STRONG

allurement bait carrot catalyst come-on consideration determinant drive excuse exhortation goad ground impulse incitement influence insistence inspiration instigation motive persuasion provocation purpose rationale spring spur stimulant stimulation temptation urge whip

WEAK

reason why

Antonyms

STRONGEST

discouragement hindrance

STRONG

deterrent dislike prevention

WEAK

block turn-off

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Incentives can range from offering mortgage-rate buydowns to free closing costs, or free upgrades on appliances.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 2, 2026

Incentives should be provided to reward top performers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 23, 2025

Incentives include delivering 20 million EVs cumulatively, achieving 10 million active subscriptions for Tesla’s highest level driver assistance technology called Full Self-Driving, and delivering one million Optimus humanoid robots, among other things.

From Barron's • Oct. 19, 2025

Incentives would apply in single-family zones only if a property is owned by a public agency or a faith-based organization, which accounts for 1% of the city’s single-family lots.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2024

This will be explained in full in the Chapters on Incentives and Welfare.

From The Psychology of Management The Function of the Mind in Determining, Teaching and Installing Methods of Least Waste by Gilbreth, Lillian Moller