Definition of motivate
motivated
;motivating
Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd
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
-
An Exxon spokesman said the attorney general’s charges were inaccurate and his investigation was motivated by politics and publicity.
-
Cutting Costs Spohr’s message, delivered in March, may also have been intended to motivate Lufthansa managers to cut costs.
-
And even then, Thompson said, Fortune would come in to offer her help, motivated by her love of people.
-
Hensarling’s decision to single out payday and title lenders for special favors appears to be similarly motivated.
-
Wieser said the bill was primarily motivated by cost savings and failed to account for the human factor of precinct consolidation.
-
Vukovic alleges the incident was politically motivated.
-
But the investigation continues into the network’s hierarchy, the precise logistics involved in planning the bombing, and what motivated Mr. Abedi.
-
What tends to motivate these individuals to give their time, money and other resources?
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.
1836
First Known Use of motivate
1836
MOTIVATE Defined for English Language Learners
motivate
playDefinition of motivate for English Language Learners
-
: to give (someone) a reason for doing something
-
: 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
-
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
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up motivate? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!