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.

Granting executives options that become highly valuable at the IPO can help motivate managers to complete the offering.

From Salon • Jun. 13, 2026

"It's a story of someone who dared to dream, and I want people to take this example and motivate themselves to be very ambitious and to go for whatever their heart desires."

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

What else could motivate him into action quite like some Lorne Michaels mentee?

From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026

Rams architects Les Snead and Sean McVay can still adroitly motivate a player without pressing too hard.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

She hoped that would motivate Bill to make some changes.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore

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