motivation
Americannoun
-
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
-
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 Word Forms
- demotivation noun
- motivational adjective
- motivative adjective
- nonmotivation noun
- remotivation noun
Etymology
Origin of motivation
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.
In a handwritten note that they saw, Finn said his motivation for donating sperm was to "bring life and happiness to others".
From BBC
"I don't think that's its main motivation for positioning itself as it has, but it has something to do with this as well."
From BBC
Even if you don’t trust her motivations when she’s saying something or completely comprehend it, it seems true.
From Los Angeles Times
This "seeking system" is key to our motivation and desire to explore and understand from an early age, and it is learnt by interacting with humans.
From BBC
It’s a simple but primal character motivation that Beetz sells with a wild-eyed ferocity.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
