motivator

noun

mo·​ti·​va·​tor ˈmō-tə-ˌvā-tər 

plural motivators

: one that motivates or impels someone or something

a subconscious motivator of behavior

: such as

a

: a factor or situation that causes people to feel motivated to do something : incentive

Only a fool, though, would deny that money is a very real and basic need and, of course, a motivator of sorts.

—Robert W. Corl

Exercising with someone else … can be a motivator.

—Joanne Lannin

Andre Harris, without basketball as a motivator, had slipped back into bad habits academically.

—John Feinstein

b

: a person who motivates others

But Romo's not an enabler; he's a motivator, says [Jessica] Simpson. "If I'm not feeling good about myself, he'll say, 'Get your butt up and go to the gym then!'"

—Michelle Tan

Examples of motivator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After analyzing 12,000 daily diary entries, her team discovered that among all workplace motivators, the most powerful is making progress in meaningful work; even incremental progress significantly enhances inner work life, creativity and productivity. —Wayne Yu, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025

For the players, this financial incentive is not merely symbolic but an acknowledgement of their professionalism and a motivator to continue raising the level of competition. —Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes.com, 27 July 2025

In a video posted by the UAW to social media, workers cited the fire as another motivator for unionization. —Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 25 July 2025

According to behavioral science, though, shame is not a strong motivator for spurring personal change. —Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 16 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above