Hypertext Webster Gateway: "incentive"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Incentive \In*cen"tive\, a. [L. incentivus, from incinere to
strike up or set the tune; pref. in- + canere to sing. See
{Enchant}, {Chant}.]
1. Inciting; encouraging or moving; rousing to action;
stimulative.
Competency is the most incentive to industry. --Dr.
H. More.
2. Serving to kindle or set on fire. [R.]
Part incentive reed
Provide, pernicious with one touch of fire.
--Milton.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
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.
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.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (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}]
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.