ulterior motive
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.85 in modern English
19
Scrabble Score
14
Letters
6
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An alternative or extrinsic reason for doing something, especially when concealed or when differing from the stated or apparent reason.
Example Sentences
- "There lurks no bribe in the smell and beauty of the flower. Its charm has no ulterior motive."
- "The poet is a man without a profit or any other kind of ulterior motive."
- "I have an ulterior motive, of course. I want a progress report on the catalog. You've been so mysterious about the whole thing, people are starting to talk."