incentive

n. stimulus, inducement, enticement, encouragement

adj. provocative, stimulating, inciting, encouraging

In economics, an incentive is any factor (financial or non-financial) that provides a motive for a particular course of action, or counts as a reason for preferring one choice to the alternatives. Since human beings are purposeful creatures, the study of incentive structures is central to the study of all economic activity (both in terms of individual decision-making and in terms of co-operation and competition within a larger institutional structure). Economic analysis, then, of the differences between societies (and between different organizations within a society) largely amounts to characterizing the differences in incentive structures faced by individuals involved in these collective efforts.
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Noun
1. a positive motivational influence
(synonym) inducement, motivator
(antonym) disincentive, deterrence
(hypernym) rational motive
(hyponym) moral force, dynamic
2. an additional payment (or other remuneration) to employees as a means of increasing output
(synonym) bonus
(hypernym) payment
(hyponym) dividend
(part-holonym) incentive program, incentive scheme

v. encourage; stimulate

v. stimulate, motivate