51Թ

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View synonyms for

motive

1

[moh-tiv]

noun

  1. something that causes a person to act in a certain way, do a certain thing, etc.; incentive.

    Synonyms: , , , , , , ,
  2. the goal or object of a person's actions.

    Her motive was revenge.

  3. (in art, literature, and music) a motif.



adjective

  1. causing, or tending to cause, motion.

  2. pertaining to motion.

  3. prompting to action.

  4. constituting a motive or motives.

verb (used with object)

motived, motiving 
  1. to motivate.

-motive

2
  1. a combining form of motive.

    automotive.

motive

/ ˈəʊɪ /

noun

  1. the reason for a certain course of action, whether conscious or unconscious

  2. a variant of motif

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. of or causing motion or action

    a motive force

  2. of or acting as a motive; motivating

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to motivate

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • motiveless adjective
  • motivelessly adverb
  • motivelessness noun
  • well-motived adjective
  • ˈdzپԱ noun
  • ˈdzپ adverb
  • ˈdzپ adjective
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of motive1

First recorded in 1325–75; (for the adjective) Middle English, from Middle French motif, from Medieval Latin ōīܲ “serving to move,” from Latin ō(ܲ) “moved” (past participle of DZŧ “to move”; move ) + -īܲ -ive; noun derivative of the adjective
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of motive1

C14: from Old French motif, from Late Latin ōīܲ (adj) moving, from Latin ōٳܲ, past participle of DZŧ to move
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Synonym Study

Motive, incentive, inducement apply to whatever moves one to action. Motive is, literally, something that moves a person; an inducement, something that leads a person on; an incentive, something that inspires a person. Motive is applied mainly to an inner urge that moves or prompts a person to action, though it may also apply to a contemplated result, the desire for which moves the person: His motive was a wish to be helpful. Inducement is never applied to an inner urge, and seldom to a goal: The pleasure of wielding authority may be an inducement to get ahead. It is used mainly of opportunities offered by the acceptance of certain conditions, whether these are offered by a second person or by the factors of the situation: The salary offered me was a great inducement. Incentive was once used of anything inspiring or stimulating the emotions or imagination: incentives to piety; it has retained of this its emotional connotations, but (rather like inducement ) is today applied only to something offered as a reward, and offered particularly to stimulate competitive activity: to create incentives for higher achievement. See reason.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The motives of the attack are still unknown.

From

While officials are still investigating the possible motive for the killing, local officials are often targeted by criminal gangs for failing to do their bidding.

From

She has called the photo a “provocation,” hinting of dark motives, but has failed to clarify her suspicions.

From

But Dumont’s motives are not just financial: Taylor is her estranged father and suffers from Lewy body dementia, which makes getting to the truth a race against time.

From

They did not give details on a possible motive.

From

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When To Use

What does motive mean?

A motive is something that causes a person to act in a certain way, as in Luciana’s motive for studying was the F she got on the last exam.A motive can also be the reward or benefit received for completing an action in a certain way or time, as in Yosef’s motive for signing up for the hike was to climb to the top of the mountain.Motive can also describe something as relating to motion or movement, such as a motive engine. A common misuse of this form is auto motive. The term automotive comes from the term, but it is a standalone word, not a phrase.Example: We need to identify a motive before we can continue investigating.

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