incentivize

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "incentivize" is correct and usable in written English.
It is generally used when encouraging someone to achieve a specific goal or when offering a reward to motivate increased production or performance. For example, "The company incentivized their employees with a bonus for meeting their quarterly sales goals."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The latest draft of the TPP's intellectual property chapter (which again, we only have access to thanks to Wikileaks) shows the Obama administration's United States Trade Representative (USTR) is pushing for extremist copyright and internet policy provisions that would incentivize internet service providers to monitor more of their users' activities, threatening online privacy.

The Guardian

We took the line, let's invest in people, let's incentivize them to multi-skill across the factory, so that when things are tight, or we get a run on something, we can move people around".

Independent

It could possibly incentivize more people to catch them.

The New Yorker

Some coverage of the Amazon–Hachette fight has focussed on the fact that writers generally receive higher royalties from sales of hardcovers than they do from sales of e-books, which would suggest that writers, too, want higher e-book prices as a way to incentivize readers to buy hard copies.

The New Yorker

Or: Can you incentivize teachers to turn up to class?

The New Yorker

Any woman should run a mile from a man who uses the verb "incentivize," but things could have been worse, I guess.

The New Yorker

"Now, they are lining up for caps, bags, electronics, teacups, and money vouchers, because we incentivize them at every stage".

The New Yorker

StickK has different tools, known as "commitment devices," to incentivize its users, and Orszag uses one that makes a credit-card donation to an "anti-charity" — some cause that he finds loathsome — if he doesn't reach his goal.

The New Yorker

"We're gonna say, 'O.K., this is so economic that we don't have to incentivize you to build this.

The New Yorker

The mansion tax and transfer fees incentivize zoning that encourages churn.

The New Yorker

At a meeting with Todd Black, the head of production of Mandalay Pictures, the conversation ranged from John Cassavetes to how Stabile had managed to "incentivize" his actors without money.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "incentivize" when you want to highlight the use of specific rewards or incentives to encourage a particular behavior or outcome. Ensure the incentive is clear and directly linked to the desired result.

Common error

Avoid using "incentivize" in very informal or casual settings, as it can sound overly formal or business-like. In everyday conversation, simpler words like "encourage" or "motivate" are often more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "incentivize" is as a transitive verb. It describes the action of providing incentives to someone or something to encourage a specific behavior or outcome. As per Ludwig, this term is widely acceptable in written English. It takes a direct object, indicating what is being incentivized.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

25%

Science

15%

Less common in

Academia

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the term "incentivize" functions as a transitive verb used to describe the act of motivating a specific behavior through incentives. Ludwig AI indicates that it's grammatically correct and broadly acceptable, although it is more fitting for formal or professional settings, particularly in business, news, and policy contexts. While alternatives like "encourage" or "motivate" might be more suitable for casual conversation, "incentivize" is the ideal choice when emphasizing structured rewards or incentives. The phrase sees frequent use across authoritative sources such as The New York Times and The New Yorker.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

motivate

Focuses on the internal drive to act, rather than external rewards.

encourage

Implies giving support or confidence to someone.

prompt

Suggests initiating an action or decision.

stimulate

Emphasizes creating excitement or interest to spur action.

induce

Implies persuading someone to do something, often through reasoning.

persuade

Focuses on convincing someone through argument or influence.

spur

Suggests a sudden burst of energy or action.

lure

Implies attracting someone with a tempting offer.

entice

Similar to lure, but can also imply a moral dilemma.

invite

Suggests a formal or polite request to do something.

FAQs

How can I use "incentivize" in a sentence?

"Incentivize" is generally used to describe the act of providing a reward or motivation for someone to do something. For example, "The company decided to incentivize employees with bonuses for meeting sales targets."

What are some alternatives to "incentivize"?

You can use alternatives like "motivate", "encourage", or "prompt" depending on the context.

Is it better to "incentivize" or "motivate" someone?

While both terms relate to encouraging action, "incentivize" typically implies a more direct, reward-based approach, while "motivate" focuses on tapping into someone's intrinsic desires or values.

What's the difference between "incentivize" and "persuade"?

"Incentivize" involves offering a tangible reward, while "persuade" focuses on convincing someone through reasoning or argument.