motive
EnglishEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Middle English motif, from Anglo-Norman motif, Middle French motif, and their source, Late Latin motivum (“motive, moving cause”), neuter of motivus (“serving to move”).
PronunciationEdit
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈməʊtɪv/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈmoʊtɪv/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: (Received Pronunciation) -əʊtɪv, (General American) -oʊtɪv
NounEdit
motive (plural motives)
- (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.
- 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.]
- 1947, Malcolm Lowry, Under the Volcano, New York: Reynal & Hitchcock:
- Many of them at first seemed kind to him, but it turned out their motives were not entirely altruistic.
- 2007, Biden, Joe, Promises to Keep[1], New York: Random House, published 2008, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 110:
- “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.”
- Synonym: motivation
- (obsolete, rare) A limb or other bodily organ that can move. [15th–17th c.]
- c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene v]:
- every joint and motive of her body
- (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. […]”
- (architecture, fine arts) A motif. [from 19th c.]
- (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.
SynonymsEdit
- (creative works) motif
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
a cause to commit a crime
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music: theme or subject
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arts: motif
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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VerbEdit
motive (third-person singular simple present motives, present participle motiving, simple past and past participle motived)
- (transitive) To prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move.
- Synonym: motivate
TranslationsEdit
to prompt or incite
AdjectiveEdit
motive (not comparable)
- Causing motion; having power to move, or tending to move
- 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.
- Synonym: moving
- Relating to motion and/or to its cause
- Synonym: motional
TranslationsEdit
causing motion
Relating to motion and/or to its cause
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Further readingEdit
- “motive”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “motive”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- motive at OneLook Dictionary Search
AnagramsEdit
FrenchEdit
VerbEdit
motive
- inflection of motiver:
LatinEdit
AdjectiveEdit
mōtīve
PortugueseEdit
VerbEdit
motive
- inflection of motivar:
RomanianEdit
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
motive
Serbo-CroatianEdit
NounEdit
motive (Cyrillic spelling мотиве)
SpanishEdit
PronunciationEdit
VerbEdit
motive
- inflection of motivar:
TurkishEdit
EtymologyEdit
Borrowed from French motivé, past participle of motiver.
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
motive
DeclensionEdit
predicative forms of motive
| present tense | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| positive, declarative |
positive, interrogative |
negative, declarative |
negative, interrogative | |
| ben (I am) | motiveyim | motive miyim? | motive değilim | motive değil miyim? |
| sen (you are) | motivesin | motive misin? | motive değilsin | motive değil misin? |
| o (he/she/it is) | motive / motivedir | motive mi? | motive değil | motive değil mi? |
| biz (we are) | motiveyiz | motive miyiz? | motive değiliz | motive değil miyiz? |
| siz (you are) | motivesiniz | motive misiniz? | motive değilsiniz | motive değil misiniz? |
| onlar (they are) | motive(ler) | motive(ler) mi? | motive değil(ler) | motive değiller mi? |
| past tense | ||||
| positive, declarative |
positive, interrogative |
negative, declarative |
negative, interrogative | |
| ben (I was) | motiveydim | motive miydim? | motive değildim | motive değil miydim? |
| sen (you were) | motiveydin | motive miydin? | motive değildin | motive değil miydin? |
| o (he/she/it was) | motiveydi | motive miydi? | motive değildi | motive değil miydi? |
| biz (we were) | motiveydik | motive miydik? | motive değildik | motive değil miydik? |
| siz (you were) | motiveydiniz | motive miydiniz? | motive değildiniz | motive değil miydiniz? |
| onlar (they were) | motiveydiler | motive miydiler? | motive değildi(ler) / değillerdi | motive değil miydiler? |
| indirect past | ||||
| positive, declarative |
positive, interrogative |
negative, declarative |
negative, interrogative | |
| ben (I was) | motiveymişim | motive miymişim? | motive değilmişim | motive değil miymişim? |
| sen (you were) | motiveymişsin | motive miymişsin? | motive değilmişsin | motive değil miymişsin? |
| o (he/she/it was) | motiveymiş | motive miymiş? | motive değilmiş | motive değil miymiş? |
| biz (we were) | motiveymişiz | motive miymişiz? | motive değilmişiz | motive değil miymişiz? |
| siz (you were) | motiveymişsiniz | motive miymişsiniz? | motive değilmişsiniz | motive değil miymişsiniz? |
| onlar (they were) | motiveymişler | motive miymişler? | motive değilmiş(ler) / değillermiş | motive değil miymişler? |
| conditional | ||||
| positive, declarative |
positive, interrogative |
negative, declarative |
negative, interrogative | |
| ben (if I) | motiveysem | motive miysem? | motive değilsem | motive değil miysem? |
| sen (if you) | motiveysen | motive miysen? | motive değilsen | motive değil miysen? |
| o (if he/she/it) | motiveyse | motive miyse? | motive değilse | motive değil miyse? |
| biz (if we) | motiveysek | motive miysek? | motive değilsek | motive değil miysek? |
| siz (if you) | motiveyseniz | motive miyseniz? | motive değilseniz | motive değil miyseniz? |
| onlar (if they) | motiveyseler | motive miyseler? | motive değilseler / değillerse | motive değil miyseler? |
Derived termsEdit
- motive etmek (“to motivate”)
- motive olmak (“to be motivated”)