Synonyms

motivate

American

[moh-tuh-veyt] / ˈmoʊ təˌveɪt /

verb (used with object)

motivated, motivating

to provide with a motive, or a cause or reason to act; incite; impel.

Synonyms:

cause, prompt, provoke, move, induce

motivate British

/ ˈməʊtɪˌveɪt /

verb

(tr) to give incentive to

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

demotivate verb (used with object)
motivator noun
nonmotivated adjective
remotivate verb (used with object)
unmotivated adjective
unmotivating adjective
well-motivated adjective

Etymology

Origin of motivate

First recorded in 1860–65; motive + -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I’m motivated, because I think we ultimately have to protect each other and protect the art for as long as we can.

From Los Angeles Times

Protesters said they are motivated by contentious immigration enforcement actions and the war in Iran.

From The Wall Street Journal

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Saturday he thought the war in the Middle East might have motivated the attempted attack.

From Barron's

The night before the second verdict was delivered, Meta introduced a new stock option program to try to motivate its senior executives to grow the company at historic speed.

From The Wall Street Journal

By prioritising this, he is seeking to motivate the party's core support and win back independence minded voters who have drifted away.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023