See also: Motive and motivé

English edit

 
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Etymology edit

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

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

motive (plural motives)

  1. (obsolete) An idea or communication that makes one want to act, especially from spiritual sources; a divine prompting. [14th–17th c.]
    • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: [], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition III, section 2, member 1, subsection ii:
      there's something in a woman beyond all human delight; a magnetic virtue, a charming quality, an occult and powerful motive.
  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. [from 15th c.]
    Synonym: motivation
  3. (obsolete, rare) A limb or other bodily organ that can move. [15th–17th c.]
  4. (law) Something which causes someone to want to commit a crime; a reason for criminal behaviour. [from 18th c.]
    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.
    • 1931, Francis Beeding, “10/6”, in Death Walks in Eastrepps:
      “Why should Eldridge commit murder? [] There was only one possible motive—namely, he wished to avoid detection as James Selby of Anaconda Ltd. […]”
  5. (architecture, fine arts) A motif. [from 19th c.]
  6. (music) A motif; a theme or subject, especially one that is central to the work or often repeated. [from 19th c.]
    If you listen carefully, you can hear the flutes mimicking the cello motive.

Synonyms edit

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Related terms edit

Translations edit

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Verb edit

motive (third-person singular simple present motives, present participle motiving, simple past and past participle motived)

  1. (transitive) To prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move.
    Synonym: motivate

Translations edit

Adjective edit

motive (not comparable)

  1. Causing motion; having power to move, or tending to move
    Synonym: moving
    a motive argument
    motive power
    • 1658, Sir Thomas Browne, The Garden of Cyrus, Folio Society, published 2007, page 195:
      In the motive parts of animals may be discovered mutuall proportions; not only in those of Quadrupeds, but in the thigh-bone, legge, foot-bone, and claws of Birds.
  2. Relating to motion and/or to its cause
    Synonym: motional

Translations edit

Further reading edit

Anagrams edit

French edit

Verb edit

motive

  1. inflection of motiver:
    1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
    2. second-person singular imperative

Latin edit

Adjective edit

mōtīve

  1. vocative masculine singular of mōtīvus

Portuguese edit

Verb edit

motive

  1. inflection of motivar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative

Romanian edit

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

motive

  1. plural of motiv

Serbo-Croatian edit

Noun edit

motive (Cyrillic spelling мотиве)

  1. accusative plural of motiv
  2. vocative singular of motiv

Spanish edit

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /moˈtibe/ [moˈt̪i.β̞e]
  • Rhymes: -ibe
  • Syllabification: mo‧ti‧ve

Verb edit

motive

  1. inflection of motivar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative

Turkish edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from French motivé, past participle of motiver.

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

motive

  1. motivated

Declension edit

Derived terms edit