motivation
Americannoun
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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
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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.
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something that motivates; inducement; incentive.
Clearly, the company's long-term motivation is profit.
noun
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the act or an instance of motivating
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desire to do; interest or drive
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incentive or inducement
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psychol the process that arouses, sustains and regulates human and animal behaviour
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of motivation
Explanation
People often need motivation to do tasks they'd prefer not to do. Do you work? Your motivation is your paycheck. Lost something? Finding it may provide motivation to tidy the house. At the root of the word motivation is the word motive, which is similarly defined as the reason for a particular action. Although the words are synonyms, when it comes to criminal behavior, people generally ask about the motives leading to the criminal acts, not the motivation behind them. Other synonyms for motivation include inspiration and enthusiasm, so people tend to associate motivation with positive acts.
Vocabulary lists containing motivation
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 3
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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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.
She said the main motivation for her comeback was the prospect of her two daughters seeing her play.
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026
“The point of the bill was really to correct that and to make sure that every child had access,” London said, noting that the inequity was the primary motivation behind the law, SB-291.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026
"It started with a personal motivation and led to something that could ultimately benefit patients."
From Science Daily • Jun. 17, 2026
Robinhood didn’t mention artificial intelligence as part of its motivation to cut jobs.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026
“My calling, my mission, my motivation and my very existence, is to create trades. This for that! Reciprocity!”
From "Son" by Lois Lowry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
