Standard Lemma guide

motive

adj · noun · verb · 13 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈməʊtɪv/
  • General-American: /ˈmoʊtɪv/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with (Received Pronunciation) -əʊtɪv
  • rhymes with (General American) -oʊtɪv
  • CMU ARPABET: M OW1 T IH0 V Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Causing motion; having power to move, or tending to move

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • a motive argument
  • motive power

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: moving, ambulatory, animate, kinetic, mobile, motile, motive, movable, vagile

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Relating to motion and/or to its cause

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: kinetic, motional

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: motivation, sake

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A limb or other bodily organ that can move.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, rare

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Something which causes someone to want to commit a crime; a reason for criminal behaviour.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: law

Examples

  • What would his motive be for burning down the cottage?
  • No-one could understand why she had hidden the shovel; her motives were obscure at best.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

Alternative form of motif.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, alternative

Qualifier: fine arts

Topics: architecture, entertainment, lifestyle, music

Examples

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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A party, gathering, or get-together.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

One's plans for the day or night.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK

Examples

  • What's the motive for tonight, lads?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: motivate

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • we did not understand his motivation
  • he acted with the best of motives

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: motivation, need

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: psychological feature

Narrower terms: life, rational motive, irrational motive, urge, impulse, ethical motive, ethics, morals, morality, psychic energy, mental energy

12

noun

Meaning 12

a design or figure that consists of recurring shapes or colors, as in architecture or decoration

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: motif

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: design, pattern, figure

13

noun

Meaning 13

a theme that is repeated or elaborated in a piece of music

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: motif

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: theme, melodic theme, musical theme, idea

Narrower terms: obbligato, obligato

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Anglo-Norman motifder. Middle French motifder. Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh1- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Indo-European *m(y)owh1éyetider. Proto-Italic *moweō Latin moveō Latin mōtus Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder. Latin -īvus Late Latin mōtīvumder. Middle English motif English motive From Middle English motif, from Anglo-Norman motif, Middle French motif, and their source, Late Latin motivum (“motive, moving cause”), neuter of motivus.

Across languages

Translations

109 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: ру́хаючы (rúxajučy) — causing motion
  • Bulgarian: движещ (dvižešt) — causing motion
  • Czech: hybný — causing motion
  • Dutch: bewegend — causing motion
  • Finnish: liike- — causing motion
  • Finnish: liikkeellepaneva — causing motion
  • Finnish: liikunta- — causing motion
  • French: moteur — causing motion
  • Georgian: მამოძრავებელი (mamoʒravebeli) — causing motion
  • Polish: napędowy — causing motion
  • Russian: дви́жущий (dvížuščij) — causing motion
  • Ukrainian: руші́йний (rušíjnyj) — causing motion
  • Bulgarian: двигателен (dvigatelen) — Relating to motion and/or to its cause
  • Dutch: bewegings- — Relating to motion and/or to its cause
  • Dutch: motioneel — Relating to motion and/or to its cause
  • Finnish: liike- — Relating to motion and/or to its cause
  • Finnish: liikkeellepaneva — Relating to motion and/or to its cause
  • Finnish: liikunta- — Relating to motion and/or to its cause
  • French: mobile — Relating to motion and/or to its cause
  • French: mouvant — Relating to motion and/or to its cause
  • Greek: κινητικός (kinitikós) — Relating to motion and/or to its cause
  • Polish: ruchowy — Relating to motion and/or to its cause
  • Albanian: motiv — a cause to commit a crime
  • Albanian: ngajë — a cause to commit a crime
  • Arabic: حَافِز (ḥāfiz) — a cause to commit a crime
  • Asturian: motivu — a cause to commit a crime
  • Belarusian: маты́ў (matýw) — a cause to commit a crime
  • Bulgarian: моти́в (motív) — a cause to commit a crime
  • Catalan: motiu — a cause to commit a crime
  • Chinese Mandarin: 動機 /动机 (dòngjī) — a cause to commit a crime
  • Czech: motiv — a cause to commit a crime
  • Czech: pohnutka — a cause to commit a crime
  • Danish: bevæggrund — a cause to commit a crime
  • Danish: motiv — a cause to commit a crime
  • Dutch: motief — a cause to commit a crime
  • Dutch: beweegreden — a cause to commit a crime
  • Dutch: motivatie — a cause to commit a crime
  • Finnish: vaikutin — a cause to commit a crime
  • Finnish: motiivi — a cause to commit a crime
  • French: motif — a cause to commit a crime
  • French: mobile — a cause to commit a crime
  • German: Motiv — a cause to commit a crime
  • German: Beweggrund — a cause to commit a crime
  • Hebrew: מניע (menía) — a cause to commit a crime
  • Hungarian: indíték — a cause to commit a crime
  • Ido: motivo — a cause to commit a crime
  • Irish: réasún — a cause to commit a crime
  • Italian: motivo — a cause to commit a crime
  • Italian: movente — a cause to commit a crime
  • Japanese: 動機 (dōki) — a cause to commit a crime
  • Korean: 동기 (donggi) — a cause to commit a crime
  • Ladino: sebeb — a cause to commit a crime
  • Ladino: sebep — a cause to commit a crime
  • Latin: ratio — a cause to commit a crime
  • Macedonian: мотив (motiv) — a cause to commit a crime
  • Occitan: motiu — a cause to commit a crime
  • Persian: انگیزه (angize) — a cause to commit a crime
  • Plautdietsch: Drief — a cause to commit a crime
  • Polish: motyw — a cause to commit a crime
  • Portuguese: motivo — a cause to commit a crime
  • Romanian: motiv — a cause to commit a crime
  • Romanian: rațiune — a cause to commit a crime
  • Russian: моти́в (motív) — a cause to commit a crime
  • Russian: по́вод (póvod) — a cause to commit a crime
  • Serbo-Croatian: мо̀тӣв — a cause to commit a crime
  • Serbo-Croatian: mòtīv — a cause to commit a crime
  • Slovak: motív — a cause to commit a crime
  • Slovene: motiv — a cause to commit a crime
  • Spanish: motivo — a cause to commit a crime
  • Spanish: motivante — a cause to commit a crime
  • Swedish: motiv — a cause to commit a crime
  • Thai: แรงจูงใจ (rɛɛng-juung-jai) — a cause to commit a crime
  • Tocharian B: ṣarm — a cause to commit a crime
  • Ukrainian: моти́в (motýv) — a cause to commit a crime
  • Vietnamese: động cơ — a cause to commit a crime
  • Belarusian: маты́ў (matýw) — music: theme or subject
  • Bulgarian: моти́в (motív) — music: theme or subject
  • Danish: motiv — music: theme or subject
  • Dutch: motief — music: theme or subject
  • Dutch: onderwerp — music: theme or subject
  • Finnish: aihe — music: theme or subject
  • French: thème — music: theme or subject
  • French: motif — music: theme or subject
  • Hebrew: מוֹטִיב (motív) — music: theme or subject
  • Ido: motivo — music: theme or subject
  • Polish: motyw — music: theme or subject
  • Polish: temat — music: theme or subject
  • Romanian: motiv — music: theme or subject
  • Russian: моти́в (motív) — music: theme or subject
  • Slovak: motív — music: theme or subject
  • Spanish: motivo — music: theme or subject
  • Ukrainian: моти́в (motýv) — music: theme or subject
  • Catalan: motiu — arts: motif
  • Danish: motiv — arts: motif
  • Dutch: motief — arts: motif
  • Finnish: aihe — arts: motif
  • Finnish: motiivi — arts: motif
  • French: motif — arts: motif
  • Ido: motivo — arts: motif
  • Polish: motyw — arts: motif
  • Russian: моти́в (motív) — arts: motif
  • Turkish: motif — arts: motif
  • Bulgarian: мотивирам (motiviram) — to prompt or incite
  • Dutch: motiveren — to prompt or incite
  • Finnish: motivoida — to prompt or incite
  • French: motiver — to prompt or incite
  • Ido: motivizar — to prompt or incite
  • Polish: motywować — to prompt or incite
  • Polish: zmotywować — to prompt or incite
Real reading context

motive in complete knowledge articles