motive

¹

[moh-tiv]

noun

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

   Synonyms: cause, ground, occasion, influence, spur, stimulus, incitement, motivation

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

/ ˈməʊtɪv /

noun

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

2. a variant of motif

adjective

1. of or causing motion or action

   a motive force

2. of or acting as a motive; motivating

verb

1. to motivate

Other Word Forms

• motivelessness noun
• motivelessly adverb
• motiveless adjective
• well-motived adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of motive¹

First recorded in 1325–75; (for the adjective) Middle English, from Middle French motif, from Medieval Latin mōtīvus “serving to move,” from Latin mōt(us) “moved” (past participle of movēre “to move”; move ) + -īvus -ive; noun derivative of the adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of motive¹

C14: from Old French motif, from Late Latin mōtīvus (adj) moving, from Latin mōtus, past participle of movēre to move

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.

Example Sentences

“The only motive for opposing this bill would be to conceal wrongdoing,” Epstein accuser Anouska de Georgiou told the crowd gathered for their press conference.

From Salon

"Trying to work out his motives, other than trying to get back as much of his losses as he can, is a bit confusing."

From BBC

Why the vehicles were at the park, and the motive behind the shooting, are under investigation, the news release said.

From Los Angeles Times

Within hours, conservative commentators speculated about her gender identity and whether she was trans, suggesting that it played a role in her motive.

From Salon

Police have not yet discovered any clear motive for the attack, but say the assailant harboured extreme anti-religious beliefs, and had previously attended the school.

From BBC

Related Words

• aim 
• cause 
• consideration 
• emotion 
• feeling 
• idea 
• impulse 
• influence 
• intent 
• intention 
• motivation 
• passion 
• rationale 

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.