Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1600-1700
Language: Late Latin
Origin: incentivum, from Latin incinere 'to set the tune', from canere 'to sing'

incentive

 noun
     
in‧cen‧tive S3 [uncountable and countable]
something that encourages you to work harder, start a new activity etc:
As an added incentive, there's a bottle of champagne for the best team.
create/provide/give somebody an incentive
Awards provide an incentive for young people to improve their skills.
incentive to do something
Farmers lack any incentive to manage their land organically.
economic/financial/tax etc incentives
a recycling drive backed with financial incentives
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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