motivation

[ moh-tuh-vey-shuhn ]

/ ˌmoʊ təˈveɪ ʃən /

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See synonyms for: motivation / motivations on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

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.

something that motivates; inducement; incentive: Clearly, the company's long-term motivation is profit.

OTHER WORDS FOR motivation

1 motive, inspiration, inducement, cause, impetus.

See synonyms for motivation on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of motivation

First recorded in 1870–75; motive + -ation

OTHER WORDS FROM motivation

mo·ti·va·tion·al, adjectivemo·ti·va·tive

[moh-tuh-vey-tiv], /ˈmoʊ təˌveɪ tɪv/, adjectivede·mo·ti·va·tion, nounnon·mo·ti·va·tion, noun

re·mo·ti·va·tion, noun

Words nearby motivation

motion picture, motion sickness, motion study, motion work, motivate, motivation, motivational, motivational research, motivation research, motivator, motive

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use motivation in a sentence

Paying publishers to post to the platform, however, could be motivation enough for revenue-focused publishers to make more of an effort.
‘We’ll give you money’: TikTok getting publishers’ attention by including them in $1 billion Creator Fund|Tim Peterson|August 28, 2020|Digiday
There’s ample motivation to push computing to its bitter limits and beyond.
Moore’s Law Lives: Intel Says Chips Will Pack 50 Times More Transistors|Jason Dorrier|August 23, 2020|Singularity Hub
In that talk, they mentioned that their motivation for schema markup was to be able to optimize content for both voice and search.
An SEO’s guide to event schema markup|Paul Morris|August 14, 2020|Search Engine Watch
While it’s too early to say whether this crisis of conscience among advertisers is the result of deep introspection or canny PR, it’s got a lot easier for advertisers to act on either motivation thanks to curated marketplaces.
‘Coming to us for ways to do more’: Advertisers look to curated marketplaces to reach underrepresented audiences|Seb Joseph|July 31, 2020|Digiday

Part of his motivation is likely that as chief justice, he feels a responsibility to ensure that the court maintains its reputation as an even-handed institution.
Roberts Is The New Swing Justice. That Doesn’t Mean He’s Becoming More Liberal.|Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux|July 16, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
“You ask me my motivation,” Marvin says, moving back into his tough guy persona again.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The mass dump suggests that whoever did this, their primary motivation was to embarrass Sony Pictures.
No, North Korea Didn’t Hack Sony|Marc Rogers|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That is, we discussed character motivation, situation, and story continuity.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As the recruitment process begins, the question of motivation could also prove to be a hurdle.
U.S. Hasn’t Even Started Training Rebel Army to Fight ISIS|Tim Mak|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At least part of the motivation for that change came from people coming out of the closet and putting a human face on the insult.
Yes, ‘Aspergery’ Is a Slur and It's Time to Stop Using It|Emily Shire|October 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We must also commend Harris for supplying a consistent and relatively believable motivation for the main action.
The City Bride (1696)|Joseph Harris
His motivation of the dietary laws on the score of hygiene or of moderation and self-restraint is probably not true.
A History of Mediaeval Jewish Philosophy|Isaac Husik
Certain crowd-movements in America to-day give marked evidence of this unconscious motivation.
The Behavior of Crowds|Everett Dean Martin
Normally I wouldn't have bothered, but he had a rather special motivation.
The Syndic|C.M. Kornbluth
Part of his motivation had been provided by the oil-beetle larvae.
The Forgotten Planet|Murray Leinster

British Dictionary definitions for motivation

motivation

/ (ˌməʊtɪˈveɪʃən) /

noun

the act or an instance of motivating

desire to do; interest or drive

incentive or inducement

psychol the process that arouses, sustains and regulates human and animal behaviour

Derived forms of motivation

motivational, adjectivemotivative, adjective

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

motivation

OTHER WORDS FOR motivation

Origin of motivation

OTHER WORDS FROM motivation

Words nearby motivation

Words related to motivation

How to use motivation in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for motivation

Derived forms of motivation