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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of motivated
Michael Slaten, Oc Register, 31 July 2025
Legal scholars aligned with Trump called the attacks on Bove politically motivated.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 30 July 2025
Jodie Cook, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Portage Police said their initial investigation showed the shooting may have been motivated by romantic rivalry.
—Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for motivated
Adjective
The Anaheim Chamber of Commerce is suing its former longtime partner, Visit Anaheim, claiming the termination of a long-standing funding agreement in 2023 was politically motivated to scapegoat the business organization in the wake of investigations scrutinizing the relationship.
—Michael Slaten, Oc Register, 31 July 2025
Legal scholars aligned with Trump called the attacks on Bove politically motivated.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 30 July 2025
Verb
Their biggest obstacles include [list obstacles] and they're motivated by [describe what drives them].
—Jodie Cook, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Portage Police said their initial investigation showed the shooting may have been motivated by romantic rivalry.
—Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for motivated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivated
Adjective
-
These past few weeks have also brought to mind the Kennedy researcher Harold Weisberg, whose early books were a countercultural phenomenon and who was known for his diligent, insistent filling of FOIA requests.—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
7 Aug. 2025
-
But the Dodgers have been diligent in adhering to their plan to build Ohtani’s innings slowly and carefully.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Before the Democratic National Convention in 1912, McCombs encouraged prominent journalists and editors to write articles supportive of Wilson's nomination.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
22 Mar. 2025
-
The party has dismissed the raucous town halls in conservative districts as the work of liberal activist groups, which have encouraged people to flood public forums in an attempt to highlight frustrations with the administration.—
Riley Beggin,
USA TODAY,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Carpenter was the epitome of poise, delivering an energetic and entertaining performance on stage while controlling the moment with a quick wit between songs.—
Jim Ryan,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
The energetic period piece follows five young and wealthy American women in the 1870s, who travel to London searching for husbands.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Its presence had long gone unnoticed — until some determined scientists visited.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Seven months in, the administration is determined to keep that pledge.—
Matt Alderton,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Our publicist persuaded the New York Times to do an article on the hundredth anniversary of La Bohème and its staying power as reflected by Rent.—
Jeffrey Seller,
Vulture,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Convinced that sunken treasures were hidden beneath what was about to become three high-rise buildings, the amateur river detectives donned hard hats and persuaded a backhoe operator to let them onto the site.—
Kinsey Gidick,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The store has an intimate but dynamic feel, designed to spark conversation, connection and a deeper appreciation for diverse storytelling.—
American Booksellers Association,
USA Today,
15 Aug. 2025
-
So the references to the father-son dynamic — including several The Suicide Squad clips used as flashbacks — can feel on the silly side.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
If Brown is enticed by the chance to see that through, the Chiefs can take advantage and alleviate some of the risk by luring him with some incentives based on playing time.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
7 Mar. 2025
-
With more cap space leaguewide than expected, Zucker may be enticed by the idea of hitting free agency coming off a career year.—
Matthew Fairburn,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
After the first four episodes of the show’s new installment were released on Wednesday, Aug. 6, fans were eager to see the singer, 39, in her guest starring role.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
It’s created a new market opportunity for brands eager to peddle protein-forward products to this growing demographic.—
Boutayna Chokrane,
Wired News,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Motivated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivated. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share