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

Toxic positivity can at first seem like a motivator, but over time can negatively affect team morale and productivity. —Mita Mallick, Big Think, 30 Sep. 2025

Pittsburgh shouldn’t be underestimated in this spot, though — Mike Tomlin is a natural motivator who has yet to coach a losing season in 19 years. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025

Their new team motto, ‘More is Required,’ is one of their motivators to push themselves further in the tournament this year in hopes of bringing home the Gophers’ first national championship since the 2015-16 season. —Theodore Tollefson, Twin Cities, 25 Sep. 2025

Treating Sales Comp Like A Line Item Sales comp is a growth lever, a people motivator and a noble cause for any business development leader. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above