The rare daily word game sweeping the globe. Find what's hidden in plain sight.
INCENTIVE
Definition of INCENTIVE
noun
Something that motivates, rouses, or encourages.
Wiktionary · CC BY-SA
Where it comes from
From Medieval Latin incentīvus (“that strikes up or sets the tune”), from incinō (“to strike up”), from in- (“in, on”) + canō (“to sing”) + -ive. The formation appears to have been influenced by incendō (“to set on fire”).
Etymology via Wiktionary (CC BY-SA).
Word DNA
Line of descent
- Latin
- English
One recorded step before English.
Deepest traced root
1st
of 59 source languages in OUTLIER
30.7%
of traced words share this origin (26,234)
branch · 30.7% of traced words
How it is built
Same root, INCENTIVE · 3 relatives in the game
OUTLIER scores every word on how unusual it is, and that number is not published. Working it out at the board is the game.
INCENTIVE in OUTLIER
Players have found it on 1 board so far.
It first turned up on Day 169, 5 November 2026. Nobody has seen it on a board for 3 days.
First found by a player on Day 169, 5 November 2026.
Built from these letters
INCENTIVE starts with I and ends with E. Sorted, its letters read CEEIINNTV - the shape to hunt for when the grid is scrambled. I, N and E appear more than once.
Words that start INCENT
Its neighbours in the OUTLIER dictionary - shortest first.
Could you have found INCENTIVE?
OUTLIER is a daily word game. One grid, the same grid for everybody, and the words nobody else spots are the ones that pay. This word was on Day 169 - and most players walked straight past it.
Play today's OUTLIER