Adjacent Words

motivate definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: give an incentive for action; "This moved me to sacrifice my career" [syn: motivate, actuate, propel, move, prompt, incite]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb (-vated; -vating) Date: 1885 to provide with a motive ; impel <questions that excite and motivate youth> • motivative adjective • motivator noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 supply a motive to; be the motive of. 2 cause (a person) to act in a particular way. 3 stimulate the interest of (a person in an activity). Derivatives: motivation n. motivational adj. motivationally adv.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Motivate Mo"ti*vate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. -vated; p. pr. & vb. n. -vating.] [From Motive, n.] To provide with a motive; to move; impel; induce; incite. -- Mo`ti*va"tion, n. --William James.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(motivates, motivating, motivated) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. If you are motivated by something, especially an emotion, it causes you to behave in a particular way. They are motivated by a need to achieve... I don't want to be missing out. And that motivates me to get up and do something every day. VERB: be V-ed, V n to-inf, also V n • motivated ...highly motivated employees. ADJ • motivation His poor performance may be attributed to lack of motivation rather than to reading difficulties. 2. If someone motivates you to do something, they make you feel determined to do it. How do you motivate people to work hard and efficiently?... Never let it be said that the manager doesn't know how to motivate his players. = inspire VERB: V n to-inf, V n • motivation Gross's skill in motivation looked in doubt when his side began the second half badly.

Moby Thesaurus

activate, actuate, animate, arouse, bring, bring about, bring on, cajole, call forth, cause, coax, compel, contrive, draw down, draw on, drive, drive on, effect, egg on, elicit, encourage, energize, evoke, excite, force, forward, foster, galvanize, get, give an impetus, give momentum, goad, impel, incite, induce, influence, inspire, instigate, lead, mobilize, move, move to action, nudge, obtain, occasion, persuade, pique, power, procure, prod, promote, prompt, propel, provoke, push, put in motion, quicken, rouse, set agoing, set going, set in motion, shove, spark, spur, stimulate, stir up, superinduce, tempt, thrust, urge, wheedle, whip on