Definition of motivation
1a : the act or process of motivating Some students need motivation to help them through school.b : the condition of being motivated employees who lack motivation
2 : a motivating force, stimulus, or influence : incentive, drive the Old Testament heroes added religious motivation to the waging of war — Richard Humble The fear of failure was the motivation for his achievements.
motivationally
adverbPeople Are Reading
Examples of motivation in a Sentence
Some students need motivation to help them through school.
Many people have questioned her motivations in choosing to run for office at this time.
Recent Examples of motivation from the Web
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That was a key motivation for the sale, Blair said.
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In theory, this payment method gives the insurers motivation to keep patients from needing costly medical services such as hospitalizations.
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But the motivations of this entire administration just seem so … nasty.
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Remember their #PowerofShe campaign ad, which showed women uniting together and offered positive inspo and motivation?
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Still, whatever Sasse’s motivation, a modest bill fortifying the private market is the only thing that could get eight Democratic votes.
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Florida's climate has even been a motivation for at least one distillery.
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The sun makes some positive aspects midweek that urge you to dig deeper than surface level and read into others' true feelings and motivations.
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Still, entertainment was as much a motivation as politics—
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'motivation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of motivation
1873
MOTIVATION Defined for English Language Learners
motivation
playDefinition of motivation for English Language Learners
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: the act or process of giving someone a reason for doing something : the act or process of motivating someone
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: the condition of being eager to act or work : the condition of being motivated
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: a force or influence that causes someone to do something
Medical Dictionary
motivation
playMedical Definition of motivation
1a: the act or process of motivatingb: the condition of being motivated
2: a motivating force, stimulus, or influence (as a drive or incentive) lacks the motivation to lose weight
Learn More about motivation
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See words that rhyme with motivation Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for motivation Spanish Central: Translation of motivation Nglish: Translation of motivation for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of motivation for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about motivation
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