motive

CEFRB2

/ˈməʊtɪv/

noun · adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    The reason someone does something.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Causing or producing movement.

Examples

  • There seemed to be no motive for the murder.

  • You may rest assured; I have no ulterior motive in making this donation.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • /ˈmoʊtɪv/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A limb or other bodily organ that can move.

  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. An idea or communication that makes one want to act, especially from spiritual sources; a divine prompting.

More examples

In context

  • Your motive was admirable, but your action was not.

  • If you listen carefully, you can hear the flutes mimicking the cello motive.

  • No-one could understand why she had hidden the shovel; her motives were obscure at best.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The lawyer argued that there was no criminal blank, only a tragic accident.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

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