incentive Definition

incentive
noun

1. Something that motivates or encourages an action, work, etc, such as extra money paid to workers to increase output. See also carrot (sense 3).

Thesaurus: motivation, lure, inducement, bait, reward, enticement, stimulus, cause, encouragement, impetus, reason, spur.
2. Serving to motivate or encourage.

Example: an incentive scheme

Etymology: 15c: from Latin incentivus, from incinere to blow on an instrument.