ulterior motive
noun
a secret reason for doing something; a purpose, often the main purpose, that is kept hidden.
ulterior motives
-
pluralof ulterior motive.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
Dating coach Jaime Bronstein is a proponent of using LinkedIn with ulterior motives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
How can we not wonder about ulterior motives?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Anybody making a financial pitch to you out of the blue likely has ulterior motives.
From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026
Ekneligoda's lawyer said his client denies the allegations, that there are ulterior motives to the allegations, and that a witness supports his version of events.
From BBC ● Feb. 23, 2026
After all, Mom didn’t seem to have any ulterior motives, at least none that I can figure.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
