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Definition of motivate
motivated
;motivating
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Examples of motivate in a Sentence
No one knows what motivated him to act in such a violent way.
Recent Examples of motivate from the Web
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His fellow prisoners said the lawsuit appeared motivated in part by a desire for a big payoff from Qatar and was in part a strategy to win over the Egyptian authorities.
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Hate crimes motivated by ethnicity accounted for about 35 percent of those cases, and sexual orientation represented about 22 percent.
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Hate crimes motivated by ethnicity accounted for about 35 percent of those cases, and sexual orientation represented about 22 percent.
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Hate crimes motivated by ethnicity accounted for about 35 percent of those cases, and sexual orientation represented about 22 percent.
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Since the shooting, law enforcement has been investigating what motivated Hodgkinson of Belleville, who died after a shootout with officers.
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The second study, also published today in PNAS, looked at what motivates male chimps to risk life and limb on patrol missions.
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An Exxon spokesman said the attorney general’s charges were inaccurate and his investigation was motivated by politics and publicity.
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Cutting Costs Spohr’s message, delivered in March, may also have been intended to motivate Lufthansa managers to cut costs.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'motivate'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of motivate
1836
MOTIVATE Defined for English Language Learners
motivate
playDefinition of motivate for English Language Learners
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: to give (someone) a reason for doing something
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: to be a reason for (something)
MOTIVATE Defined for Kids
motivate
playDefinition of motivate for Students
motivated
;motivating
: to give or be a reason for doing something Prizes motivated him to join the contest.
Medical Dictionary
Learn More about motivate
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See words that rhyme with motivate Spanish Central: Translation of motivate Nglish: Translation of motivate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of motivate for Arabic speakers
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