as in diligent
having a strong desire for personal advancement
He was lauded by faculty as an exceptionally hardworking, curious, and motivated student. The company was looking for motivated self-starters to fill the sales position.
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as in encouraged
to rouse to action or activity
The presence of treats motivated the dogs to obey their owner's commands. They drove a campaign to motivate voters to show up to the polls.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of motivated
Irwin Cotler, Time, 8 May 2026
Players are free to move to a new school every year and are motivated to do so because of the paydays available at bigger schools.
—Eric Olson, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
Michele Youngerman, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Schreiber is being charged with simple assault, and assault motivated by religious hostility.
—Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivated
Adjective
Other human rights lawyers have been recently prosecuted in Russia, including Maria Bontsler, a prominent lawyer who defended individuals persecuted by politically motivated charges.
—Irwin Cotler, Time, 8 May 2026
Players are free to move to a new school every year and are motivated to do so because of the paydays available at bigger schools.
—Eric Olson, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
Verb
The shooting motivated Manny to fight to get guns taken away from domestic abusers.
—Michele Youngerman, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Schreiber is being charged with simple assault, and assault motivated by religious hostility.
—Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivated
Adjective
-
In the end, after a monthslong investigation and diligent forensic work, partial remains of 70 of the 110 victims were identified and returned to family members who, to this day, carry the pain of that day in 1996.—
Hank Tester,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
-
The Devil’s Chair Trail was previously closed because of storm damage, but reopened about two weeks ago, thanks to the diligent work of county staff.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Those who noticed the earthquake are encouraged to report it through the USGS Felt Report form.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 May 2026
-
Residents were encouraged to do a walk-through of their property, looking for potential damage from water or gas leaks.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
Hsu’s character Kristen is an energetic surfer, who finds joy and freedom in the ocean.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
11 May 2026
-
The central region of Messier 77 is dominated by an extremely compact and energetic source that outshines the rest of the galaxy combined, even challenging the sensitivity of the James Webb Space Telescope itself.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
In the end, Erik Heil and the Germans closed to within a boat length at the final turning mark, and Botin was forced to execute a high-pressure tack to stay ahead and claim second.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Under the map, Cleaver would be forced to campaign in a district that stretches east from Troost Avenue to the rural cities and towns spread across central Missouri.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
Barker speaks of his family with obvious pride, and seems determined to bring them along as his star rises.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
Lamborghini itself has confirmed that its first fully electric model will arrive later this decade, but the company appears determined to keep combustion engines alive in its flagship supercars for as long as regulations permit.—
James Morris,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Historically, Angelenos didn’t need to be persuaded to ride the train.—
Oren Peleg,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
But the price was worth it for Bischofberger, who persuaded Warhol to give him right of first refusal for his art, a stipulation that the artist upheld until his death in 1987.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Renewables require a more dynamic grid, more energy storage, and a wider range of power sources to compensate for their intermittency.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 2026
-
This week, Metro is set to unveil the first part of a nine-mile subway under Wilshire, one of the most dynamic and traffic-clogged stretches of Los Angeles.—
National Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
That allegedly enticed consumers to spend more to purchase the new devices.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
-
This plan includes guest worker programs, clear pathways for immigrants and their families who are here seeking to make a better life for their families and who were enticed to come here by the prior federal administration.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motivated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivated. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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