motivate

American

[moh-tuh-veyt] / ˈmoʊ təˌveɪt /

verb (used with object)

motivated, motivating

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

Other Word Forms

demotivate verb (used with object)
motivator noun
nonmotivated adjective
remotivate verb (used with object)
unmotivated adjective
unmotivating adjective
well-motivated adjective

Etymology

Origin of motivate

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

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.

Not all Equity for Punks investors were motivated by the chance of a windfall profit.

From BBC

At the High Court, barrister David Sherborne, representing Baroness Lawrence, questioned Wright about whether the Daily Mail's reporting was partly motivated by a belief that the Lawrence family was benefiting financially from the case.

From BBC

He pointed out that most of the people at the scene were motivated to help in the search for the missing boy.

From BBC

Honoring those contributions through careful and rigorous science motivates our entire team.

From Science Daily

His success in liberating deserving people who would otherwise be rotting away in prison—even if he was motivated only by vanity—suggests he may very well deserve the Nobel.

From The Wall Street Journal

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