motive
/ˈmoʊtɪv/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.94 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An idea or communication that makes one want to act, especially from spiritual sources; a divine prompting.
Obsolete
noun
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.
noun
Alternative form of motif.
Example Sentences
- "there's something in a woman beyond all human delight; a magnetic virtue, a charming quality, an occult and powerful motive."
- "Many of them at first seemed kind to him, but it turned out their motives were not entirely altruistic."
- "“Your job here is to find the good things in your colleagues—the things their state saw—and not focus on the bad.” I said I understand. “And, Joe, never attack another man’s motive, because you don’t know his motive.”"
- "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."
- "“Why should Eldridge commit murder?[…]There was only one possible motive—namely, he wished to avoid detection as James Selby of Anaconda Ltd. […]”"
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)owh₁éyeti 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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈmoʊtɪv/
- British English: /ˈməʊtɪv/
Usage
- Obsolete
- British usage
- Transitive verb