motive

Meaning

Verb

To prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move.

Noun

1. (obsolete) 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. (obsolete, rare) 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. (alt-of, alternative) Alternative form of motif.
6. (British) A party, gathering, or get-together.
7. (British) One's plans for the day or night.

Adj

1. (not-comparable) Causing motion; having power to move, or tending to move
2. (not-comparable) Relating to motion and/or to its cause

Synonyms

cause

reason

incentive

motif

motivation

purpose

inducement

aim

intention

stimulus

occasion

spur

object

impulse

drive

gist

meaning

motor

ground

fillip

account

excuse

opinion

objective

pretext

stimulator

impellent

idea

💡

cue

motivate

goal

chance

🎲

will

subject

stimulation

start

theme

design

provocation

locomotive

encouragement

induce

incitement

origin

source

moving

impetus

need

motivating

motivative

Translations

motif

motivo

motivo

Motiv

Beweggrund

ragione

motivo

motief

motor

aanleiding

beweegreden

mobile

movente

moteur

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈməʊtɪv/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: motif

In summary

From Middle English motif, from Anglo-Norman motif, Middle French motif, and their source, Late Latin motivum (“motive, moving cause”), neuter of motivus.