ENCOURAGEMENT Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

encouragement

noun

in-ˈkər-ij-mənt

Definition of encouragement

as in incentive

something that arouses action or activity the huge rebates that the auto companies were offering were all the encouragement I needed to buy a new car

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of encouragement In 2018, Katie Carringer was working as an administrative assistant at a drug rehab facility and made an appointment with Towers at the encouragement of her boss. — Amy Yurkanin, ProPublica, 24 Aug. 2026 Palmer himself paced the room on a phone call, doling out smiles of encouragement and inspiring a hushed reverence in his wake. — Colleen McNally Arnett, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2026 With encouragement from state and local Republican officials, agencies in Florida, Texas, Oklahoma and Georgia have been among the leaders. — Ryan J. Foley, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026 Ogunyemi rejects the notion that encouragement is merely a soft leadership practice that can’t be connected to measurable business outcomes. — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for encouragement

Recent Examples of Synonyms for encouragement

Noun

Investors are also betting on a future DeepSeek listing in the mainland, said Wayne Shiong, managing partner at Argo Venture Partners, as the startup risks an exodus of senior engineers without financial incentives to stay.

— Anniek Bao,Elaine Yu, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Instead, the law provides the city with an incentive to dangle before the team.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of incentive

Noun

The impetus was Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which contains gory scenes that are definitely too intense for young kids but more appropriate for teens, and thus, the PG-13 rating was born.

— Kara Nesvig, Parents, 29 Aug. 2026
The maintenance needed on the 368,000 miles of roads in America’s national forests was one impetus for the Roadless Rule in 2001.

— Patrick Parenteau, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of impetus

Noun

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 ranks EI skills like resilience, flexibility, agility, leadership, social influence, motivation, and self-awareness as among the top ten most desirable skills.

— Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
The Whisper Man director James Ashcroft explains the motivations of the film’s serial killer antagonist.

— Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of motivation

Browse Nearby Words

encouraged

encouragement

encouragements

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“Encouragement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encouragement. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of encouragement

noun

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