Synonyms

motivate

American

[moh-tuh-veyt] / ˈmoʊ təˌveɪt /

verb (used with object)

to provide with a motive, or a cause or reason to act; incite; impel.

Synonyms:

cause, prompt, provoke, move, induce

motivate British

/ ˈməʊtɪˌveɪt /

verb

(tr) to give incentive to

"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

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Etymology

Origin of motivate

First recorded in 1860–65; motive + -ate ¹

Explanation

To give someone the incentive to act in a certain way is to motivate that person. If you give your dad a food-processor for his birthday, you might motivate him to help out with the cooking. The verb motivate means to prompt or incite. By giving speeches on college campuses across the country, John F. Kennedy motivated a lot of young people to join the Peace Corps in the early 1960s. People are not always motivated in positive ways, however. When a crime is described as racially motivated, it means the perpetrators picked their victim because of the color of his skin.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

motivate motivates motivated motivating

"It did motivate some people to take up a path in life which they would otherwise not have chosen," he says.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

Instead of Gods like Poseidon and Zeus playing an integral role in the story, they are left as unseen forces that motivate the characters’ actions.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

Lofty goals can motivate change and encourage healthier habits.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

In a nation that doesn't care much for soccer, vast crowds sang the cheesy, sunny song "Country Roads" to motivate their heroes.

From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026

From McKissick, Fuller learned about strategy and, at least as important, about how to speak in a way that would move and motivate people.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

“Princess Mononoke” proves that sometimes losing too much motivates us to help nature to regain some ground.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

A happy homeowner, Umansky holds, is the ultimate goal in his line of work, and the satisfaction that comes from helping clients is what motivates him to remain active as a real estate agent.

From MarketWatch ● May 22, 2026

The feeling of being transported by youthful energy motivates Shahniani every morning when he starts his day by playing Pinar Toprak’s uplifting Epcot theme on the speakers downstairs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2026

"Sometimes a kid does not give everything. We say: Estevao was not like that. Estevao dedicated himself, he committed, he did not complain. That motivates them."

From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2026

“The inimitable Locke,” he answered, “saith that mankind is engaged in perpetual uneasiness, and that it is lack which motivates us forward. In our desires, we resemble the action of a two-legged table.”

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Bonta, in a recent interview with The Times, denied his lawsuit was motivated by politics, saying it was a “meat-and-potatoes” antitrust case.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

This is what motivated Nick Wakeling, a teacher at Colyton Grammar School, to get in touch.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Jerry Falade said in an interview that he wrote the debut novel himself and that claims against him were racially motivated.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

These results suggest that orexin neurons are required to maintain motivated behavior, but increasing their activity beyond normal levels may not be enough to produce additional motivation.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026

By the time Herr Thiessen departs the circus, motivated solely by exhaustion, he is completely and utterly besotted.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

"It's definitely helped because he's been through the troubles of sport, so he's very motivating; he's the one I go to if I need any help," Amankwaah said.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

“It’s never too late” can start to feel exhausting, rather than motivating.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

Seeing the professionalism he brings every day to practice, on and off the court, while traveling and when showing up to tournaments, it rubs off on you and that’s really motivating to see.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

A giant twist in the series’ penultimate episode, “The Garden,” came with the reveal that the crowning achievement motivating Deborah all season long, a sold-out Madison Square Garden performance, was a cruel illusion.

From Salon ● May 29, 2026

The arts, however, can be used effectively to augment this method, motivating students and appealing to their innate artistry and humanity.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023