Examples of motivate in a Sentence
No one knows what motivated him to act in such a violent way.
Recent Examples on the Web
Yet others will work most of their waking hours, motivated by both enjoyment of work and the luxuries that work will buy.
—
Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Wisconsin said the Catholic Charities bureau and four affiliates had to participate in the state’s unemployment benefits system because the work being performed is primarily secular, even if it’s motivated by religious belief.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 6 June 2025
The president’s foreign policy is ‘Me, Myself and I,’ columnist Jackie Calmes argues — strictly transactional and motivated less by national interest than what’s in it, personally and politically, for him.
—Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Former federal prosecutor Gene Rossi told Newsweek Thomas could wait until after the 2026 midterms to avoid giving Democrats a motivating issue ahead of the elections.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for motivate
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Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Wisconsin said the Catholic Charities bureau and four affiliates had to participate in the state’s unemployment benefits system because the work being performed is primarily secular, even if it’s motivated by religious belief.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 6 June 2025
The president’s foreign policy is ‘Me, Myself and I,’ columnist Jackie Calmes argues — strictly transactional and motivated less by national interest than what’s in it, personally and politically, for him.
—Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Former federal prosecutor Gene Rossi told Newsweek Thomas could wait until after the 2026 midterms to avoid giving Democrats a motivating issue ahead of the elections.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for motivate
Cite this Entry
“Motivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motivate. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
motivate
verb
mo·ti·vate
ˈmōt-ə-ˌvāt 
motivated; motivating
: to provide with a reason for doing something : induce
Medical Definition
motivate
transitive verb
mo·ti·vate
ˈmōt-ə-ˌvāt
motivated; motivating
: to provide with a motive or serve as a motive for
motivate patients to change unhealthy lifestyles
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