Also 6–8 incouragement. [a. F. encouragement: see prec. and -MENT.] The action or process of encouraging, the fact of being encouraged (see senses of the vb.); concr. a fact or circumstance that serves to encourage.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 257. King Edward purposyng a lyke encouragement of noble and worthie knightes.
1598. J. Dickenson, Greene in Conc. (1878), 143. For his more incouragement viewing in his mistris countenance, no cloudes of discontent.
1638. Ld. Goring, in Hamilton Papers (1880), 65. What encouragement whatever those ill affected with you may gather.
1677. Yarranton, Engl. Improv., 62. To the Incouragement of the Iron, and Iron Manufactures.
1700. Wallis, in Collect. (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), I. 319. This riding-master went hence, finding little or no encouragement, of any desirous to learn.
1711. Shaftesb., Charac. (1737), II. 124. Inward Deformity growing greater, by the Incouragement of unnatural Affection.
1748. Anson, Voy. (ed. 4), Introd. Such employments could not long be wanting, if due incouragement were given to them.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, vi. The wooer had begun to hold the refusal of the damsel as somewhat capricious … after the degree of encouragement which, in his opinion, she had afforded.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), V. 186. He [Plato] gives no encouragement to individual enthusiasm.
1883. Law Rep. Queen’s B. XI. 569. The object of the society being the encouragement of saving.
