motivation

American  

[moh-tuh-vey-shuhn] / ˌmoʊ təˈveɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of motivating, or providing with a reason to act in a certain way.

   I don't understand what her motivation was for quitting her job.

   Synonyms:

   impetus, cause, inducement, inspiration, motive

2. the state or condition of being motivated or having a strong reason to act or accomplish something.

   We know that these students have strong motivation to learn.

3. something that motivates; inducement; incentive.

   Clearly, the company's long-term motivation is profit.

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Other Word Forms

• demotivation noun
• motivational adjective
• motivative adjective
• nonmotivation noun
• remotivation noun

Etymology

Origin of motivation

First recorded in 1870–75; motive + -ation

Example Sentences

He said the possibility the attack was backed by Iran was one line of inquiry and police were working to determine the motivation of the attackers.

From BBC

The antics of the “bewitched” girls are so clearly feigned that the audience can recognize the corrupt motivations of the powerful people who are feeding the frenzy.

From The Wall Street Journal

“It’s really important for students to not deify one historical person, one figure, but to understand the motivation and the movement,” Young said.

From Los Angeles Times

But the motivations behind these maneuvers, industry analysts say, are not entirely clear.

From Salon

These products, because they are so easy to chew and digest quickly, hit the brain rapidly and can have a strong effect on its reward system, which is involved in pleasure, motivation and learning.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• catalyst
• desire
• encouragement
• impetus
• impulse
• incentive
• inclination
• interest
• motive
• reason
• wish