incentivize

verb

in·​cen·​tiv·​ize in-ˈsen-tə-ˌvīz How to pronounce incentivize (audio)
incentivized; incentivizing

transitive verb

: to provide with an incentive
would incentivize employees with stock options

Examples of incentivize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Russia may be particularly incentivized to continue cooperating with North Korea, per some officials. Shannon K. Crawford, ABC News, 12 Sep. 2023 In an effort to stir economic growth, local resorts including Four Seasons Maui and Hotel Wailea, have incentivized tourism, offering donations to local foundations for every booking. Kait Hanson, Travel + Leisure, 11 Sep. 2023 Southwest is the only airline offering an extended free companion pass right now, but other carriers have been incentivizing frequent flyers with unlimited flight passes recently. Bychris Morris, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2023 The data offer a detailed view of how top executives are incentivized, like how stock continues to comprise most of their compensation and how that drives the wide pay disparities between those in charge and those who work on the ground, like nurses, home health aides, and others. Adam Feuerstein, STAT, 17 Aug. 2023 The quarterfinal losers are incentivized with $50,000. Chris Fedor, cleveland, 15 Aug. 2023 The transformation of minor sparks into massive conflagrations is a long-standing feature of coverage that is increasingly dependent on the horse race’s ups and downs and incentivized to highlight—and sometimes overstate—whatever drama and intrigue can be mined. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 1 Sep. 2023 Abbott’s contention is that machine inventions should be protected to incentivize people to use AI for social good. Will Bedingfield, WIRED, 31 Aug. 2023 That’s helped incentivize many consumers to make the switch. Michelle Toh, CNN, 22 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incentivize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of incentivize was in 1960

Dictionary Entries Near incentivize

Cite this Entry

“Incentivize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incentivize. Accessed 21 Sep. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!