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

The Lions ripped off four straight victories until last week’s loss at Kansas City and now return home highly motivated to put that frustrating defeat behind them. —Mike Jones, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025

Before the season started, Roberts laid out the long-term goals for the ball club and explained how the team could remain motivated. —Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025

Prosecutors said the six, all Bulgarian nationals, were financially motivated and did not report directly to Russian intelligence. —Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025

Miami is roughly a two-touchdown favorite but beware a tough test from a motivated L’Ville. —Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 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