enticements

Enticement refers to the act or process of luring someone to take a particular action by appealing to their desires or interests. It describes incentives offered to persuade another party, whether material (money, goods, favorable terms), social (status, reputation), or informational (access to exclusive information). Enticement is often used as a neutral descriptor for inducements or temptations in negotiation, commerce, and everyday decision making, though its ethical or legal implications depend on context.

In legal contexts, enticement can denote specific offenses involving the lure of wrongdoing or vulnerable persons. Common examples include enticement of a minor, which criminalizes attempts to lure a child into illicit acts or dangerous circumstances, and criminal enticement, where a person persuades another to commit crime. In contract and employment settings, inducements or enticements may be evaluated for legality and fairness, such as signing bonuses or loyalty incentives, with regulations designed to prevent coercion, fraud, or undue influence.

Historically, discussions of enticement intersect with ethics, economics, and public policy, weighing the effectiveness of incentives against potential manipulation or harm. See also: incentive, inducement, lure, bribe.