motivation

[moh-tuh-vey-shuhn]

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.

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of motivation¹

First recorded in 1870–75; motive + -ation

Example Sentences

On recent Reddit threads, some fans have questioned the motivation behind all of Swift’s variants and the need for them.

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The Supreme Court has defined commercial speech as communication of the “terms of an actual or potential transaction” that has an “economic motivation”—for example, credit-card solicitations.

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But their more intimate songs portray her as an habitual outsider who doubts her own abilities and motivations.

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"It's made such a difference to my motivation and energy in the mornings."

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One man who could be in the mix for the Cherry and Whites is Brad O'Neill, who has his own motivation to take to the field on Saturday.

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Related Words

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