motivated

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adjective

mo·​ti·​vat·​ed ˈmō-tə-ˌvā-təd 

: provided with a motive : having an incentive or a strong desire to do well or succeed in some pursuit

a motivated employee

Courses are being offered on college campuses for those who are highly motivated but who without such help often drop out and are lost to society and themselves.

—Carol Kort

In a sporting context, for example, athletes who consistently seem to play hard and rarely concede defeat are often described as highly motivated or "competitive" by the media.

—Robert C. Eklund

motivated

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past tense and past participle of motivate

Examples of motivated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

This shift represents a massive opportunity for brands to connect with highly motivated buyers. — Narendra Lakshmana Gowda, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026

The Giants prepare for a Monday night visit to the Los Angeles Rams, who could be extra motivated after getting routed 27-7 by San Francisco in Australia. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026

The latest legal development comes three months after Newsom accused the Justice Department of launching a baseless, politically motivated investigation of him and his wife, documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom. — Phil Willon, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2026

Despite fan and media wondering whether the Americans had finally met their match in the motivated French, who had dominated the tournament up until the championship game, Team USA proved its dynasty is in good hands. — Annie Costabile, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1903, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing motivated

• self-motivated

Rhymes for motivated

• abdicated
• abrogated
• acclimated
• activated
• actuated
• adumbrated
• advocated
• aggravated
• aggregated
• agitated
• allocated
• alternated