motive

noun
UK: /ˈməʊ.tɪv/
US: /ˈmoʊ.tɪv/

  1. A reason for doing something.

    1. His motive was clear: he wanted the money. [ ] [ ]
    2. The detective examined the crime scene to determine the killer's motive. [ ] [ ]

  2. The reason why someone does something, especially something bad.

    1. What was the motive for the attack? [ ] [ ]
    2. Police are still trying to establish a motive for the crime that was committed last night. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

drive purpose stimulus goal intention aim incentive reason cause impulse
motive transitive-verb

  1. To provide someone with a reason for doing something.

    1. I hope this success will motive you to keep learning. [ ] [ ]
    2. The coach tried to motive his team with a pep talk before the big game. [ ] [ ]
motive adjective

  1. Causing or being the reason for action.

    1. The motive power of the engine is steam. [ ] [ ]
    2. What was the motive force behind their sudden change of plan? [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "motive" in English means: A reason for doing something., The reason why someone does something, especially something bad..

The phonetic transcription of "motive" is /ˈməʊ.tɪv/ in British English and /ˈmoʊ.tɪv/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "motive": drive, purpose, stimulus, goal, intention, aim, incentive, reason, cause, impulse.

Example usage of "motive": "His motive was clear: he wanted the money.". More examples on the page.