Synonyms

ulterior motive

American

[uhl-teer-ee-er moh-tiv] / ʌlˈtɪər i ər ˈmoʊ tɪv /

noun

a secret reason for doing something; a purpose, often the main purpose, that is kept hidden.

When his enemy the Sheriff of Nottingham calls for an archery contest, Robin Hood suspects an ulterior motive, namely, to flush Robin out of hiding.
It turns out she had an ulterior motive for being so friendly and helpful—she was a con artist hoping to sign me up.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

ulterior motives

plural

Etymology

Origin of ulterior motive

First recorded in 1800–10

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.

But there is an ulterior motive to her choice that won’t come into focus until the second half of the movie.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

But the “Severance” creator reveals an ulterior motive in that confrontation.

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2025

“It’s not unwelcome,” says Andrew Brown, Neon’s president of digital distribution, laughing over Zoom when this possibly devious ulterior motive is mentioned.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2025

Schwartz claims his curiosity serves an ulterior motive: “I love learning about people and I’m not as comfortable talking about myself.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2024

What if he'd lied out of some ulterior motive of his own?

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023