motivation

[ moh-tuh-vey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act or an instance of motivating, or providing with a reason to act in a certain way:

   I don't understand what her motivation was for quitting her job.

   Synonyms: impetus, cause, inducement, inspiration, motive

2. the state or condition of being motivated or having a strong reason to act or accomplish something:

   We know that these students have strong motivation to learn.

3. something that motivates; inducement; incentive:

   Clearly, the company's long-term motivation is profit.

Other Words From

• mo·ti·va·tion·al adjective
• mo·ti·va·tive [moh, -t, uh, -vey-tiv], adjective
• de·mo·ti·va·tion noun
• non·mo·ti·va·tion noun
• re·mo·ti·va·tion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of motivation¹

First recorded in 1870–75; motive + -ation

Example Sentences

"We want students with the ability to create and the motivation to realise visions of the future: who seek large-scale and unique solutions."

From Science Daily

Those who played together were more likely to collaborate in these endeavors, indicating that play can signal cooperative motivation and enhance collective cooperation.

From Science Daily

The motivation for the research was fueled by Pluckhahn's realization that there was a lack of evidence pointing to a large population of manatees in Florida's pre-colonial era.

From Science Daily

“He’s still getting here at 3 in the morning, so I don’t think it’s changed anything with the work ethic or the motivation,” Shula said.

From Los Angeles Times

The big question, post Treble triumph, is where does the motivation come from?

From BBC

Related Words

• catalyst
• desire
• encouragement
• impetus
• impulse
• incentive
• inclination
• interest
• motive
• reason
• wish