motive

1 of 3

noun

mo·​tive ˈmō-tiv How to pronounce motive (audio)
sense 2 is also
mō-ˈtēv How to pronounce motive (audio)
1
: something (such as a need or desire) that causes a person to act
Revenge was the murderer's motive.
2
: a recurrent phrase or figure that is developed through the course of a musical composition
3
: motif
the composition's recurring flute motive
motiveless adjective
motivelessly adverb
motivic adjective

motive

2 of 3

adjective

mo·​tive ˈmō-tiv How to pronounce motive (audio)
1
: of or relating to motion or the causing of motion
motive energy
2
: moving or tending to move to action

motive

3 of 3

verb

mo·​tive ˈmō-tiv How to pronounce motive (audio)
motived; motiving
Choose the Right Synonym for motive

motive, impulse, incentive, inducement, spur, goad mean a stimulus to action.

motive implies an emotion or desire operating on the will and causing it to act.

a motive for the crime

impulse suggests a driving power arising from personal temperament or constitution.

buying on impulse

incentive applies to an external influence (such as an expected reward) inciting to action.

a bonus was offered as an incentive

inducement suggests a motive prompted by the deliberate enticements or allurements of another.

offered a watch as an inducement to subscribe

spur applies to a motive that stimulates the faculties or increases energy or ardor.

fear was a spur to action

goad suggests a motive that keeps one going against one's will or desire.

thought insecurity a goad to worker efficiency

Examples of motive in a Sentence

Noun Their motive in running away was to avoid being punished. I think he's guilty of the crime. He had the motive, the means, and the opportunity. She denied that her offer to help was based on selfish motives.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
No motive is currently known for the attack but police have confirmed that the 12-year-old girl has been charged with one count of murder. Jon Haworth, ABC News, 16 Nov. 2023 Indeed, one of Hamas’s motives in carrying out the October 7 attacks may well have been to create a situation in which Palestinians, most of whom did not previously support Hamas, are driven into its arms by Israel’s punitive actions. Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Affairs, 16 Nov. 2023 His killer was never caught, and the motive seemed to lie in some macabre interplay of politics and passion—the sort of fate that, in the American imagination, could only befall a foreigner. Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 15 Nov. 2023 Theories over a motive are also dissected on popular Reddit pages and TikTok accounts where the hashtag #IdahoMurderMystery has more than 207.2 million views. Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2023 That motive still exists in the U.S.-China rivalry, but now both countries are working toward building an enduring presence on the moon and in cislunar space, the real estate between the moon and Earth. Christian Davenport, Washington Post, 13 Nov. 2023 This does not explain the script or the motives of the actors. Dominic Green, WSJ, 10 Nov. 2023 Detectives are still trying to determine the motive and circumstances of the incident, Jarjura said. City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2023 Malevolent actors can harness this unique feature to deliberately distribute content lacking in important context in the aim of pulling at emotional heartstrings to further their motives. Bychristiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2023
Adjective
Without a motive, right-wing influencers shortly after the shooting seized on the vacuum of information to falsely claim that there was a rise in transgender mass shooters and that the fight for trans rights was radicalizing people. Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023 Police have yet to announce suspects or motive in the crime. Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2023 He was not identified immediately, and no information was available about a suspect or motive. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2023 Some celebrated her separation from the dancer, questioning his character and motive, while others were more concerned with the singer’s well-being. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2023 Police continue to search for a suspect and motive, Fox 5 Atlanta reports. Michael Lee Simpson, Peoplemag, 20 Sep. 2023 There's no motive or known connection between Landon and Sylla, police and prosecutors have said. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 15 Sep. 2023 No information was available about any suspect or motive. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2023 Police were investigating a motive and potential suspects Monday. Jasmine Hilton, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2023
Verb
Police are investigating the circumstances and motive around the shooting and have not announced any arrests. Dallas News, 18 May 2022 The coming together of both aspects of his game has also led him to become more vocal on the court, both to keep himself motivated and to motive others. oregonlive, 5 Aug. 2020 Defense attorneys tried to get those allegations blocked by the court, but U.S. District Judge Thomas Whelan ruled the allegations were relevant to whether campaign money was spent illegally and spoke to motive and intent. Arkansas Online, 2 Dec. 2019 Police did not immediately offer information as to motive or suspect description. Keri Blakinger, Houston Chronicle, 21 Jan. 2018 Of course, with all reports like this, speculation as to motive for such stories must be questioned. Mark Heim, AL.com, 12 Oct. 2017 My photography is first and foremost a catalyst or reason to motive human action. Olivier Laurent, Time, 30 June 2017 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'motive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French motif, motive, from motif, adjective, moving, from Medieval Latin motivus, from Latin motus, past participle of movēre to move

Adjective

Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French motif, from Medieval Latin motivus

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1657, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of motive was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near motive

Cite this Entry

“Motive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motive. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

motive

1 of 2 noun
mo·​tive ˈmōt-iv How to pronounce motive (audio)
sense 2 is also
mō-ˈtēv How to pronounce motive (audio)
1
: something (as a need or desire) that leads or influences a person to do something
their motive in running away was to avoid trouble
2
: motif

motive

2 of 2 adjective
mo·​tive ˈmōt-iv How to pronounce motive (audio)
: of, relating to, or causing motion
motive power

Medical Definition

motive

noun
mo·​tive ˈmōt-iv How to pronounce motive (audio)
: something (as a need or desire) that causes a person to act

Legal Definition

motive

noun
mo·​tive
: something (as a need or desire) that causes a person to act

Note: Motive is distinguished from intent or mens rea. Although motive is not an element of a crime, evidence of motive can be introduced to help establish intent.

Etymology

Noun

Anglo-French motif, from Middle French motif adjective, moving, from Medieval Latin motivus, from Latin motus, past participle of movēre to move

More from Merriam-Webster on motive

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