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motive

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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionarymo·tive I \ˈmō-tiv, 2 is also mō-ˈtēv\ noun ETYMOLOGY Middle English, from Anglo-French motif, motive,from motif, adjective, moving, from Medieval Latin motivus, from Latin motus, past participle of movēre to move DATE 15th century1. something (as a need or desire) that causes a person to act2. a recurrent phrase or figure that is developed through the course of a musical composition3. motif• mo·tive·less \-ləs\ adjective• mo·tive·less·ly adverb• mo·ti·vic \mō-ˈtē-vik\ adjectiveSynonyms. motive, impulse, incentive, inducement, spur, goad mean a stimulus to action. motive implies an emotion or desire operating on the will and causing it to act a motive for the crime impulse suggests a driving power arising from personal temperament or constitution buying on impulse incentive applies to an external influence (as an expected reward) inciting to action a bonus was offered as an incentive inducement suggests a motive prompted by the deliberate enticements or allurements of another offered a watch as an inducement to subscribe spur applies to a motive that stimulates the faculties or increases energy or ardor fear was a spur to action goad suggests a motive that keeps one going against one's will or desire thought insecurity a goad to worker efficiency II \ˈmō-tiv\ adjective ETYMOLOGY Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French motif, from Medieval Latin motivus DATE 15021. moving or tending to move to action2. of or relating to motion or the causing of motion motive energy III \ˈmō-tiv\ transitive verb (mo·tived ; mo·tiv·ing) DATE circa 1650: motivateEnglish Etymologymotive mid-14c., "something brought forward," from O.Frhttp://O.Fr. motif (n.), from motif (fem. motive), adj., "moving," from M.L. motivus "moving, impelling," from L. motus, pp. of movere "to move" (see move). Meaning "that which inwardly moves a person to behave a certain way" is from early 15c.Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7motivemo·tive / 5mEutiv; NAmE 5mou- / noun ~ (for sth) a reason for doing sth 动机；原因；目的: There seemed to be no motive for the murder. 这起谋杀案看不出有什么动机。 I'm suspicious of his motives. 我怀疑他的动机。 the profit motive (= the desire to make a profit) 谋利的动机 I have an ulterior motive in offering to help you. 我主动提出要帮助你是有私心的。 ⇨ note at reason • mo·tive·less adj.: an apparently motiveless murder / attack 表面上没有动机的谋杀/袭击 adjective[only before noun] (technical 术语) causing movement or action 发动的；导致运动的: motive power / force (= for example, electricity, to operate machinery) 原动力 Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of EnglishOxford Collocations dictionary for students of Englishmotive noun ADJ. hidden, ulterior | clear, good, strong There seemed to be no clear motive for the attack. I'd say he had a very strong motive for wanting her dead. | high, pure He was acting from the highest motives when he offered her money. | base, selfish | prime | real | underlying She was not sure what his underlying motives were. | mixed We give aid to other countries with mixed motives. | financial, political, racial VERB + MOTIVE be inspired by, have She knew that he was inspired by base motives. | establish, find, suggest The police are still trying to establish a motive for the attack. | be suspicious of, examine, question He was suspicious of her motives in inviting him into the house. She should examine her motives for marrying him. | explain However you explain the motives behind his actions, he was still wrong. | understand PREP. ~ in What was their motive in setting fire to the building? | ~ behind There is no doubt about the motive behind it all. | ~ for There may be a hidden motive for his departure. | ~ of acting from motives of revenge Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus-11th Editionn. Function: noun 1 the object influencing a choice or prompting an action FF1C;trying to discover what was his motive in killing the girlFF1E; Synonyms: cause, consideration, reason, spring; compare STIMULUS Related Words: antecedent, determinant; emotion, feeling, passion; aim, end, intent, intention, purpose 2 Synonyms: FIGURE 3, design, device, motif, pattern 3 Synonyms: SUBJECT 2, argument, head, matter, motif, point, subject matter, text, theme, topicWebster's Third New International Dictionary, UnabridgedSearch result show the entry is found in: leading motive , or motive power , or self-motive , or triumphal arch motive , or by-motivemo·tiveI. \ˈmōd.]iv, -ōt], ]ēv also ]əv; in senses 4 and 5 “ or mōˈtēv\ noun(-s)Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French motif, from motif, adjective, moving, causing to move, from Medieval Latin motivus, from Latin motus (past participle of movēre to move) + -ivus -ive — more at move1. a. : something within a person (as need, idea, organic state, or emotion) that incites him to action < ordinarily his motive is a wish to … avoid unfavorable notice and comment — Thorstein Veblen > b. : the consideration or object influencing a choice or prompting an action < the principal motive of American policy — C.E.Black & E.C.Helmreich > < the motive for the crime >2. obsolete : a prompting force or incitement working on a person to influence volition or action : mover, instigator, cause < nature, whose motive in this case should stir me most — Shakespeare > < am I the motive of these tears — Shakespeare >3. obsolete : a part of the body capable of movement < her wanton spirits look out at every joint and motive of her body — Shakespeare >4. [French, from Middle French, motive] a. : the guiding or controlling idea in an artistic work or in one of its parts b. : motif 1b5. [German motiv, from French motif] : theme, subject; specifically :a leading phrase or figure that is reproduced and varied through the course of a musical composition or movement — compare leitmotivSynonyms: motive, spring, impulse, incentive, inducement, spur, and goadcan mean, in common, a stimulus prompting a person to act in a particular way. motive can apply to any emotion, desire, or appetite operating on the will of a person and moving him to act < the habit so prevalent with us of always seeking the motive of everyone's speech or behavior — W.C.Brownell > < shielding her husband's murderer, from whatever motives of pity or friendship — Rose Macaulay > < it was the deepest motive of her soul, this self mistrust — D.H.Lawrence > spring, usually in the plural, is usually interchangeable with motive, possibly more frequently applying to a hidden or not fully recognized stimulus to action < the springs and consequences of international policy — David Mitrany > < the mysteriously working emotional springs of human action > impulse stresses impetus or driving power rather than an effect; in a general sense, it can apply to any strong incitement to activity, especially one deriving from personal temperament or constitution < the religious impulse and the scientific impulse — Havelock Ellis > < one strong impulse that bound them together — their common love of fine horses — Sherwood Anderson > < the extraordinary vitality of the critical impulse in American letters — C.I.Glicksberg > < the impulse that led to the evolution of man — Joshua Whatmough > but in a more special use it applies to a spontaneous, often irrational urge to do something < the first impulse of a child in a garden is to pick every attractive flower — Bertrand Russell > < suffered an odd impulse to get up and kick his chair over — Mary Austin > incentive applies chiefly to a cause inciting or encouraging to action, applying commonly to some external reward < his love for the family was a strong incentive to continued effort in their behalf > < money is not the only incentive to work, nor the strongest — G.B.Shaw > < the only incentive to travel … was the luxury of the accommodation — O.S.Nock > inducement implies an external influence and often a purposeful attempt to entice to action < the chief inducements to serve were the pension and the right of citizenship which awaited a soldier on his discharge — John Buchan > < a community that … holds young people and offers inducements to them to stay and help build a greater home town — J.C.Penney > < free gas was offered to factories as an inducement for locating in towns — American Guide Series: Ind. > spur applies to any impetus which can stir to action or increase energy or ardor in an action already undertaken < fear or despair may be a temporary spur to action — Saturday Review > < under the spur of his annoyance — Hamilton Basso > < Russia with its drive for warm water ports, China with its inexorable pressure of population — they, too, have a physical spur to expansive policies — Barbara Ward > goad can apply to anything that strongly incites to action or keeps one in action against one's will or desire < the threat of … aggression was a standing goad to the defense effort — New York Times > < was … a goad for an indolent writer — Van Wyck Brooks >II. \ˈmōd.]iv, -ōt], ]ēv also ]əv\ adjectiveEtymology: Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French motif, from Medieval Latin motivus — more at motive I1. : moving or tending to move to action < motive arguments >2. : having or concerned with the function of initiating action < the motive nerves >3. : of or relating to motion or the causing of motion < motive energy >III. transitive verb(-ed/-ing/-s)Etymology: motive (I) : motivate 1

Motive Action The From Medieval Latin Person Motive