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
ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Right now, Mercury and Neptune are forging an alliance in your motivated 10th house, empowering your public path.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2026
Kate Rooney,drew Troast, CNBC, 15 Apr. 2026
Their rapprochement was in part motivated by Nelson’s personal history with Nesta, particularly an incident in 2024 where Nesta unsuccessfully attempted to press charges against Nelson’s wife for allegedly pushing him.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivated
Adjective
During his trial and sentencing, Malema said that the charges against him were politically motivated as they were brought by Afriforum, a lobby group for the white Afrikaner minority group that has been at odds with Malema for years.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Right now, Mercury and Neptune are forging an alliance in your motivated 10th house, empowering your public path.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
The San Francisco District Attorney said the crime was motivated by hate of AI technology.
—Kate Rooney,drew Troast, CNBC, 15 Apr. 2026
Their rapprochement was in part motivated by Nelson’s personal history with Nesta, particularly an incident in 2024 where Nesta unsuccessfully attempted to press charges against Nelson’s wife for allegedly pushing him.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivated
Adjective
-
Defenseman Jacob Moverare was highlighted with the Daryl Evans Youth Hockey Service Award for his diligent and enthusiastic work with the Kings’ learn-to-play program.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
There’s a lot of work that goes into this, a lot of long, diligent hours.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Nonpropagandized instruction of the history and relevance of May Day could have been encouraged.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
-
City officials have encouraged Golden Leaf restaurant to install an expensive filter to address the pungent smell, though owners insist that none of their immediate shopping center neighbors have complained about the odor.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Daniela Avanzini, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza, Lara Raj and Yoonchae Jeong of KATSEYE give an energetic performance during their weekend 2 set at Coachella in Indio, California, on April 17.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Adept at skilfully maneuvering guests and their belongings around the estate’s cobbles and dirt tracks on golf buggies, Sao Lourenco’s energetic team of young, enthusiastic staff provide warm-hearted service with care and charisma.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After a brief pickup in transit attempts on Saturday, shipping traffic in the Gulf stalled once again, with vessels coming under fire mid-passage and being forced to withdraw.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The debate forced a showdown that would have better been avoided.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Authorities said the boy struck him while riding what was initially reported as an e-bike but was later determined to be an off-highway motorcycle — a vehicle not permitted on public roadways in California.—
Sydney Barragan,
Oc Register,
18 Apr. 2026
-
One of the five was an MIT professor killed at his doorstep by a former Portuguese classmate who was later determined to be the Brown University mass shooter.—
Anna Schecter,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Barnes persuaded Imam and his new wife, Alice, to join the project in Steubenville, and the couple bought a house there in 2019.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
In fact, his ally House Speaker Mike Johnson persuaded him to take it down.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Mike and Pam aren’t the only dynamic duo at CinemaCon anymore.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
-
There’s a strange dynamic emerging around artificial intelligence.—
Joe Wilkins,
Futurism,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
They are drawn in by the possibility of an exciting pull—similar to how a bettor might be enticed by a long-shot parlay translating to big winnings.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
In addition to the immediate employment boost for tradespeople—including construction workers, electricians, and plumbers—local governments have been enticed by the impressive tax revenues on offer.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motivated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivated. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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