motivational

American  

[moh-tuh-vey-shuh-nl] / ˌmoʊ təˈveɪ ʃə nl /

adjective

1. of or relating to motivation, a person's reason for acting in a certain way.

   The research investigated the motivational factors influencing people’s decision to volunteer with community organizations.

2. inspiring or seeking to inspire people to act in a certain way, especially so as to overcome obstacles and achieve success, happiness, etc..

   He mentors inner city youth, telling his motivational story at local schools.

   Since her diagnosis, she has become an HIV/AIDS educator, motivational speaker, and activist.

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Other Word Forms

• antimotivational
  adjective
• nonmotivational
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of motivational

motivation ( def. ) + -al ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

Anything motivational makes you want to do something — or at least be willing to do it. When you're training your dog, the treats in your pocket can be used as motivational tools. If someone gives a motivational speech, their purpose is to try to get people excited about doing or trying something. A football coach's motivational talk to his team, for example, is intended to inspire the players to win the game. In other words, what the coach says motivates the team to play well. Both motivate and motivational come from the Old French motif, "drive or motivation," from motivus, "moving" in Medieval Latin.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

motivational

A clearer understanding of how these neurons function could eventually contribute to new ways of addressing motivational deficits, including loss of motivation and difficulty maintaining goal-directed behavior.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026

He often cribbed from a motivational text called “Lessons from Geese” when talking about Wawa, explaining: “Why do geese fly in a ‘V’?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Tyson lent his name to the academy for $1 a year, has appeared at ceremonies for the school and given motivational speeches to students.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

If Belgium are to make it past Spain and beyond, Lukaku and his fellow leaders' motivational team talks are going to have to be especially inspirational, regardless of the language they're delivered in.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

I had never been there before, but I got the vibe pretty fast — if you’re into pastels and motivational posters, that little cube was definitely the place to be.

From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick