motivation

American  

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

noun

• motivations
  plural

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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motivation British  

/ ˌməʊtɪˈveɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of motivating

2. desire to do; interest or drive

3. incentive or inducement

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• motivations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of motivation

First recorded in 1870–75; motive + -ation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

motivation motivations

"There was a motivation of trying to prove myself that I could still compete and give Max something to cheer about, so I got back in training again."

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Part of the LSE’s motivation for running the private markets venue is to forge early links with young private companies that might one day want to go public.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

At first, Ansolabehere said, the writers struggled with her motivation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

He shares that his family, his wife and daughter, provide him with a newfound motivation to make justice a reality for Black people and all other people of color.

From Salon ● Sep. 29, 2026

Could this mix of motivation also affect the stories they tell?

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates

You know, normally in First Amendment cases, there is a factual dispute about the motivations of government action.

From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2026

Just as your altruism or kindness can lead you astray, so can other motivations, like greed — participating in a get-rich-quick scam that seems too good to be true.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

Spencer’s motivations for writing the book quickly came under scrutiny, with parts of the British media suggesting Spencer may want to cash in after three divorces.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Each has motivations to settle — including avoiding a years-long court fight.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

There is something beautiful in the subtlety of that exchange, in the attention that each party must pay to the motivations and desires of the other.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

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