disincentive
Other forms: disincentives
A disincentive makes you not want to do something. The possibility of getting an expensive ticket is one disincentive for speeding on the highway.
Use the noun disincentive to mean something that discourages you from taking some action, instead of motivating you to try the way an incentive does. A library fine is a disincentive from keeping books for too long, and the fear that you'll be rejected is a disincentive from applying to a competitive college. The Latin prefix dis is key here: it means either "a lack of" or "do the opposite of."
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a negative motivational influence
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synonyms:
deterrence
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Antonyms:
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incentive, inducement, motivator
a positive motivational influence
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type of:
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rational motive
a motive that can be defended by reasoning or logical argument
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incentive, inducement, motivator
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Vocabulary lists containing disincentive
Avery Grambs learns that Tobias Hawthorne, a deceased billionaire she never met, left most of his fortune to her. But in order to receive the inheritance, she has to live in Hawthorne's mansion for one year and contend with his angry family members who are out to get her.
Claire's parents send her from China to California to live with a host family and attend an American high school.
Journalist Charles Fishman explores humanity's need for and use of water — and the threat of water scarcity.
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