English Explanatory Dictionary

motive

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. An idea or communication that makes one want to act, especially from spiritual sources; a divine prompting.
  2. An incentive to act in a particular way; a reason or emotion that makes one want to do something; anything that prompts a choice of action.
  3. A limb or other bodily organ that can move.
  4. Something which causes someone to want to commit a crime; a reason for criminal behaviour.
  5. Alternative form of motif.
  6. A party, gathering, or get-together.
  7. One's plans for the day or night.
verb
  1. To prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move.
adj
  1. Causing motion; having power to move, or tending to move
  2. Relating to motion and/or to its cause

Pronunciation

/ˈməʊtɪv/ /ˈmoʊtɪv/ en-us-motive.ogg

Word forms

motive motives motiving motived

Etymology

Etymology tree Anglo-Norman motifder. Middle French motifder. Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁-der. Proto-Italic *moweō Late Latin moveō Late Latin mōtus Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder. Late Latin -īvus Late Latin mōtīvumder. Middle English motif English motive From Middle English motif, from Anglo-Norman motif, Middle French motif, and their source, Late Latin motivum (“motive, moving cause”), neuter of motivus.

Synonyms

motivation motivate moving ambulatory animate kinetic mobile motile motive movable vagile motional

Derived words

appeal to motive by-motive leading motive motiveless motive power motive power depot motivology profit motive submotive ulterior motive unmotived automotive cytomotive electromotive magnetomotive motiveness motivity nonmotive pedomotive protonmotive vasomotive
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