motivator

noun

mo·​ti·​va·​tor ˈmō-tə-ˌvā-tər 

plural motivators

: one that motivates or impels someone or something

a subconscious motivator of behavior

: such as

a

: a factor or situation that causes people to feel motivated to do something : incentive

Only a fool, though, would deny that money is a very real and basic need and, of course, a motivator of sorts.

—Robert W. Corl

Exercising with someone else … can be a motivator.

—Joanne Lannin

Andre Harris, without basketball as a motivator, had slipped back into bad habits academically.

—John Feinstein

b

: a person who motivates others

… won a reputation as a leader and a motivator …

—Leonard Silk

But Romo's not an enabler; he's a motivator, says [Jessica] Simpson. "If I'm not feeling good about myself, he'll say, 'Get your butt up and go to the gym then!'"

—Michelle Tan

Examples of motivator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Weather can make wasps seem more aggressive While the hunt for sugary food is a prime motivator, the hot, dry weather of August and September can also fuel wasp aggression. — Nick Perry, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026

Democratic National Committee Vice Chair Jane Kleeb said the party doesn’t believe Republicans will be successful in using the convention as a final motivator to get more conservative voters to the polls. — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2026

Quell their fears, align with their motivators and speak to their hopes. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

But comfort and nostalgia aren’t the only motivators behind this trend. — Loren Savini, Allure, 13 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined above