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

Marina von Keyserlingk, a professor of animal welfare at the University of British Columbia has conducted prior research showing that cows in natural environments are highly motivated to use trees and other abrasive surfaces to scratch and groom themselves. —Leslie Katz, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026

Being surrounded by smart, highly motivated high schoolers pushed Eve to take academics seriously. —Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026

Civil’s lawyers said his arrest was politically motivated. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 Jan. 2026

Both Walz and Frey previously have denounced the probe — which involves whether the two impeded the immigration action — saying its politically-motivated. —Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 20 Jan. 2026

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