heightened incentive

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "heightened incentive" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe an increased motivation or reason for someone to take a specific action or achieve a goal. Example: "The new bonus structure provides a heightened incentive for employees to exceed their sales targets."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Many Palestinian Catholics want a heightened incentive -- like a papal appeal -- to soldier on as the guardians of the faith in the Holy Land.

The New York Times

The euphoria of first use deteriorates with habituation, to be replaced with heightened incentive salience associated with the drug and the cues that predict the drug as well as dysphoria in the absence of the drug.

Biology of Sex Differences

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Since conservatism can trigger earlier covenant violations, borrowers have heightened incentives to report less conservatively in the post-CDS period.

Journal of Accounting and Economics

Mr. Romney might welcome this shift from public to private costs, because it would heighten incentives to save, rewarding individuals who shop around for the best private health insurance, private schools and private retirement plans.

The New York Times

In the US, the increasing financial support for customer-sited photovoltaic (PV) systems provided through publicly funded incentive programs has heightened concerns about the long-term performance of these systems.

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

Most notably, adolescents, compared with adults, demonstrated attenuated responses in the VS during the incentive cue, followed by a heightened response in the VS and sPCS during response preparation (reward anticipation) on reward trials.

Cerebral Cortex

Also, heightened environmental awareness has emerged as an additional incentive to minimize operational impact.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

The 2010 Dodd-Frank law further heightened pressure by giving corporate whistle-blowers a financial incentive to report violations.

The New York Times

When the heightened government scrutiny alarmed SAC's traders this year, the fund offered additional financial incentives to retain employees, many of whom make millions of dollars a year.

The New York Times

Besides making comparative information available, people's cost awareness was assumed to be heightened and they were made partly responsible for the costs they incur through financial incentives, e.g. they receive cheques, have to make co-payments and pay policy excesses and have no-risk benefits.

BMC Health Services Research

Given purely business incentives, they are more likely to sustain sanitation supply in order to meet the heightened demand and maintenance requirements in communities.

Unicef

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "heightened incentive" when you want to emphasize that the incentive has been increased or made more significant than before. It suggests a deliberate act to boost motivation.

Common error

While "heightened incentive" is grammatically correct, it can sound overly formal in casual settings. Consider using simpler alternatives like "more motivation" or "stronger reason" for everyday conversations.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "heightened incentive" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. Ludwig's examples show it describing an increased motivation or reason for action, which is aligned with its primary function.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

34%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "heightened incentive" is a grammatically correct and usable noun phrase that describes an increased motivation or encouragement. According to Ludwig, this expression is often found in news, scientific, and formal business contexts, suggesting a register that leans toward formal. While it isn't very common, it is well-understood and can be effectively used to convey a sense of amplified motivation. When considering alternatives, "increased motivation" or "enhanced encouragement" offer similar meanings with slight differences in emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

increased motivation

Replaces "incentive" with a more general term for motivation; slightly less specific.

escalated encouragement

Synonymous to heightened, describes escalation of support and courage

amplified motivation

Implies a greater level of motivation

enhanced encouragement

Substitutes "incentive" with "encouragement", emphasizing the supportive aspect; slightly less direct.

intensified encouragement

Synonymous to heightened, describes the encouragement in its intense form

greater inducement

Replaces "incentive" with "inducement", sounding more formal; implies persuasion.

stronger impetus

Uses "impetus" to suggest a driving force; implies momentum.

magnified impetus

Implies greater drive force

boosted stimulus

Employs "stimulus" to highlight an external trigger; emphasizes activation.

elevated stimulus

Uses 'elevated' to emphasize higher stimulation

FAQs

How can I use "heightened incentive" in a sentence?

You can use "heightened incentive" to describe an increased motivation for a particular action. For example, "The new bonus structure provides a "heightened incentive" for employees to exceed their sales targets".

What are some alternatives to "heightened incentive"?

Alternatives include "increased motivation", "enhanced encouragement", or "greater inducement", depending on the context.

Is "heightened incentive" formal or informal?

"Heightened incentive" is generally considered more formal. In informal contexts, simpler phrases like "more motivation" might be more appropriate.

What's the difference between "heightened incentive" and "increased incentive"?

While similar, "heightened incentive" suggests a more deliberate and noticeable increase. "Increased incentive" is a more general term for a rise in motivation.