as in incentive
something that arouses action or activity
fear of failing should be plenty of motivation to study for the test
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Recent Examples of motivation
Class topics range from personal growth to professional development, with lessons on self-motivation, creativity, health and wellness, leadership, sales, management, and more.
—
Big Think, 18 June 2026
After all, a lot of the motivation for hoarding as people age is due to fear of mistreatment when physical decline makes reliance on oth-ers indispensable.
—Literary Hub, 18 June 2026
And, most importantly, all this progression is occurring at a rapid clip, with full arcs tidily wrapped up in the four (of eight) episodes provided for review and characters’ hidden motivations revealed deliberately and steadily.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 June 2026
Interestingly, the motivations and strategies of these founders vary wildly by region.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivation
Big Think, 18 June 2026
After all, a lot of the motivation for hoarding as people age is due to fear of mistreatment when physical decline makes reliance on oth-ers indispensable.
—Literary Hub, 18 June 2026
And, most importantly, all this progression is occurring at a rapid clip, with full arcs tidily wrapped up in the four (of eight) episodes provided for review and characters’ hidden motivations revealed deliberately and steadily.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 June 2026
Interestingly, the motivations and strategies of these founders vary wildly by region.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for motivation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motivation
Noun
-
Financial incentives offered by the conservation district, in conjunction with federal programs, have enticed farmers in the South Fork of the Republican River near Burlington to end irrigation on an additional 20,000 acres.—
Allen Best,
Denver Post,
14 June 2026
-
As firms scale, governance, incentives, and legacy practices shift focus from customer value and human flourishing.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
The Forest Service has cited cost savings as the impetus for a reorganization that will shutter dozens of research facilities.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
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And the main impetus for that arboreal death was the state’s dwindling water supply.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
Noun
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Several students said Gilliam's encouragement made a lasting impression during the two-week camp.—
Alexa Liacko,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
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Even so, reports suggest that Lopez leaving the door open is all the encouragement Rodriguez needs.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
The nation’s collective card balance actually declined through much of 2020 and 2021, as consumers rode out the COVID-19 pandemic and cashed federal stimulus checks.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
-
Prabowo has pushed for heavier stimulus and lower interest rates.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motivation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motivation. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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