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

The proud dad of three also shared that his growing family is one of his biggest motivators. —Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025

Fans traveled from across Wisconsin and even skipped school to support the team, citing socializing and love for the team as key motivators. —Ricardo Torres, jsonline.com, 14 Oct. 2025

But Erik Spoelstra was a star in 24th annual NBA general managers’ survey, voted as best head coach, best manager/motivator of people and also placing in a few other sub-categories. —Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025

When asked about their reasons for moving to a new country, only a third of all respondents cited tax efficiency as a motivator. —Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above