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

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

Meanwhile, salary remains the top motivator for graduates, with 58% citing it as their primary career driver. —Brit Morse, Fortune, 19 June 2025

Make your employees the heroes of your program; appreciation is a powerful motivator. —Bradley Keenan, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025

Antonio was told his rehabilitation could last 12 months but playing for Jamaica this summer and attempting to earn a contract extension at West Ham have been key motivators. —Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 11 June 2025

Becoming a parent can be a great motivator in the world of work. —Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above