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) 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

Adj

1. Causing motion; having power to move, or tending to move
2. Relating to motion and/or to its cause

Synonyms

cause

reason

incentive

motif

motivation

purpose

inducement

intention

stimulus

aim

occasion

object

spur

impulse

meaning

drive

motor

gist

objective

impellent

idea

💡

stimulator

pretext

opinion

account

ground

cue

motivate

excuse

fillip

stimulation

chance

🎲

encouragement

goal

impetus

incitement

induce

locomotive

motivating

motivative

moving

need

origin

provocation

source

start

subject

theme

will

design

topos

motoric

oestrum

motivator

motive power

dynamic

reason for

real intention

driving force

content

challenge

oestrus

causation

one’s real intent

persuasive

point

pretense

case

principle

prompt

prompting

main meaning

business

rationale

author

reasoning

root

sake

🍶

sanction

copy test

spring

argument

active

area

agent

actuating

ground reason

substance

supporting

supportive

target

that which gives rise

thought

💭

topic

urge

hopes

vibrational

grounds

impulsion

factor

volition

motor '' ''

excitement

intent

excitation

depicted object

main point

mechanical

encouraging

motile

motional

encourage

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.