motive

[ moh-tiv ]
See synonyms for: motivemotivesmotiveless on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. something that causes a person to act in a certain way, do a certain thing, etc.; incentive.

  2. the goal or object of a person's actions: Her motive was revenge.

  1. (in art, literature, and music) a motif.

adjective
  1. causing, or tending to cause, motion.

  2. pertaining to motion.

  1. prompting to action.

  2. constituting a motive or motives.

verb (used with object),mo·tived, mo·tiv·ing.

Origin of motive

1
First recorded in 1325–75; (for the adjective) Middle English, from Middle French motif, from Medieval Latin mōtīvus “serving to move,” from Latin mōt(us) “moved” (past participle of movēre “to move”; see move) + -īvus -ive; noun derivative of the adjective

synonym study For motive

1. Motive, incentive, inducement apply to whatever moves one to action. Motive is, literally, something that moves a person; an inducement, something that leads a person on; an incentive, something that inspires a person. Motive is applied mainly to an inner urge that moves or prompts a person to action, though it may also apply to a contemplated result, the desire for which moves the person: His motive was a wish to be helpful. Inducement is never applied to an inner urge, and seldom to a goal: The pleasure of wielding authority may be an inducement to get ahead. It is used mainly of opportunities offered by the acceptance of certain conditions, whether these are offered by a second person or by the factors of the situation: The salary offered me was a great inducement. Incentive was once used of anything inspiring or stimulating the emotions or imagination: incentives to piety; it has retained of this its emotional connotations, but (rather like inducement ) is today applied only to something offered as a reward, and offered particularly to stimulate competitive activity: to create incentives for higher achievement. 2. See reason.

Other words for motive

Other words from motive

  • mo·tive·less, adjective
  • mo·tive·less·ly, adverb
  • mo·tive·less·ness, noun
  • well-motived, adjective

Words Nearby motive

Other definitions for -motive (2 of 2)

-motive

  1. a combining form of motive: automotive.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use motive in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for motive

motive

/ (ˈməʊtɪv) /


noun
  1. the reason for a certain course of action, whether conscious or unconscious

  2. a variant of motif (def. 2)

adjective
  1. of or causing motion or action: a motive force

  2. of or acting as a motive; motivating

verb(tr)
  1. to motivate

Origin of motive

1
C14: from Old French motif, from Late Latin mōtīvus (adj) moving, from Latin mōtus, past participle of movēre to move

Derived forms of motive

  • motiveless, adjective
  • motivelessly, adverb
  • motivelessness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012