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

There are few motivators in politics as potent as fear and anger. —Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2024

The ability to get their purchase instantly, rather than waiting for shipping, is also a big motivator. —Catherine Salfino, Sourcing Journal, 19 Sep. 2024

Top motivators included problems with peers, friends, or family. —Sam Whitehead, Renuka Rayasam and Andy Miller, CNN, 13 Sep. 2024

Be a teacher, a guide and a motivator, and make a difference. —Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above