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Added 9 October 2026

motive

/ˈməʊtɪv/ noun

In Latin: ratio Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about motive at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

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.
we did not understand his motivation
A theme that is repeated or elaborated in a piece of music.
A design or figure that consists of recurring shapes or colors, as in architecture or decoration.

adjective

Causing or able to cause motion.
a motive force
Impelling to action.
it may well be that ethical language has primarily a motivative function

Origin

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

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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