disincentive

noun

dis·​in·​cen·​tive ˌdis-in-ˈsen-tiv How to pronounce disincentive (audio)

Examples of disincentive in a Sentence

We considered volunteering, but the complicated application process was a disincentive. The complicated application process was a disincentive to volunteering our time.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In short, to make housing more affordable, our local leaders should reduce the disincentives to new single and multifamily construction through reform of the city’s rent control, its overly restrictive tenant-rights policies, and its glacial permitting process. Will Swaim, The Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2025 Addressing the rebate system will help remove this current disincentive for using biosimilars. Wayne Winegarden, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025 Furthermore, today the potential loss of human life is a deterrent for conflict initiation and escalation, but when the main casualties are robots, the disincentives change dramatically and the likelihood of conflict increases. IEEE Spectrum, 21 Aug. 2017 Aside from all the implications for hardware vendors, this is the opposite of the business model for the typical horizontal software or cloud provider, which creates a disincentive for developers (and investors) to build scalable business plans. Jason Andersen, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disincentive

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disincentive was in 1946

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Cite this Entry

“Disincentive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disincentive. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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