motivated

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

Examples of motivated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

How a company treats its people can make all the difference in whether employees feel motivated, valued and happy with their work environment. —Alyshia Hull, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025

Representatives for James have called the fraud claims made against her politically motivated and false. —Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 6 Sep. 2025

Díaz de la Portilla has maintained that the charges were politically motivated. —Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025

Use a fitness tracker or pedometer to track your progress and stay motivated. —Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 4 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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