incentivize
Motivate someone by offering rewards or benefits
Examples
In a meeting
“We should incentivize early submissions with bonus points.”
Over coffee
“I incentivize my kids to clean their rooms by letting them pick the movie.”
Why this word
encourage
incentivize specifically means offering concrete rewards or benefits to motivate behavior
motivate
incentivize implies creating external rewards, while motivate can involve internal or external factors
reward
incentivize means offering rewards proactively to drive future behavior, not just recognizing past actions
Usage tip
Use in contexts involving motivation through external rewards rather than intrinsic interest
Etymology
Latin: incentivus (setting the tune) from incantare (enchant)
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Related words
delegate
To assign a task or responsibility to someone else.
autonomous
Acting independently or having the freedom to govern itself.
prompt
To cause or encourage an action or response
galvanize
To shock or excite someone into taking action
deplete
To use up or reduce a resource significantly
incentive
A motivating factor or reward that encourages action