motivation

noun mo·ti·va·tion \ ˌmō-tə-ˈvā-shən \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of motivation

1 a : 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.

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motivational

play \-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl\ adjective

—

motivationally

adverb

See motivation defined for English-language learners

See motivation defined for kids

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

The 4-Step Program assists individuals in all stages of recovery by: (1) building and maintaining motivation (2) coping with urges (3) managing thoughts, feelings and behaviors and (4) living a balanced life.

— Lake County News-Sun, "Calendar," 2 Apr. 2018
If in the face of that new reality these same folks still choose to look for reasons to discredit this team, that, to me, would illuminate the darkness of their true motivations.

— aaron carter, Philly.com, "Why Imhotep basketball should be appreciated, respected | Aaron Carter," 29 Mar. 2018
My motivation to go ice fishing was a desire to put hard work into an endeavor, to feel reverence and connection.

— author: christine cunningham, Anchorage Daily News, "As luck would have it, ‘solace’ yields fresh arctic char," 28 Mar. 2018
Filed in 2013, the lawsuit drew renewed interest last year after lawyers questioned former Gov. Martin O’Malley, a Democrat, and leaders of the General Assembly about the motivations behind the 2011 congressional redistricting.

— john fritze, baltimoresun.com, "Supreme Court to hear arguments in Maryland 'gerrymandering' case," 28 Mar. 2018
The effect shows up in locusts, too, which suggests that cognitive dissonance isn’t the whole story, since locusts don’t do a whole lot of introspecting about their motivations.

— alex hutchinson, Outside Online, "Here’s Why Athletes Love to Suffer," 27 Mar. 2018
Our motivation is rooted in never letting what happened to us happen to anyone ever again.

— sofie whitney, Glamour, "Parkland Shooting Survivor Sofie Whitney: How We Want Adults to Be Supporting Us, Not Overshadowing Us," 21 Mar. 2018
That was kind of my motivation for launching WorkLife.

— clay skipper, GQ, "The Key to Being More Productive Isn't What You Think It Is," 19 Mar. 2018
Storer admits, sweating amid a long afternoon of shooting in the desert sun, that his deep motivation transcends beyond just a new website redesign.

— refinery29.com, "The Brand That's Creating A New Plus-Size Shopping Experience," 15 Mar. 2018

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 Synonyms

Phrases

shot in the arm;

MOTIVATION Defined for English Language Learners

motivation

noun

Definition of motivation for English Language Learners

: the act or process of giving someone a reason for doing something : the act or process of motivating someone
: the condition of being eager to act or work : the condition of being motivated
: a force or influence that causes someone to do something