motivenoun [ C ]
uk/ˈməʊ.tɪv/us/ˈmoʊ.t̬ɪv/B2 a reason for doing something:
Why would she have killed him? She has no motive.
Does he have a motive for lying about where he was?
What is the motive behind (= the reason for) the bombing?
I think you should examine/question their motives in offering to lend you the money.
She denies that she has an ulterior (= secret) motive for making the donation.
More examples
- He gives a lot of money to charity, but self-aggrandizement is his motive.
- The motive for this shocking attack seems to be racial hatred.
- Detectives have been unable to assign a motive for the murder.
- He claims he just wants to help Lisa but I suspect he has an ulterior motive.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Motives and reasons
- cause 1
- drive
- first principles
- ground
- hidden agenda
- impulse
- in the name of sth idiom
- inclination
- justification
- mainspring
- motivation
- name
- object
- peg
- rationale
- reason
- should
- wherefores
- why
motiveadjective [ before noun ]
uk/ˈməʊ.tɪv/us/ˈmoʊ.t̬ɪv/specialized(of power or force) causing movement or action
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
General words for movement
- betake
- budge
- budge up
- circulate
- come
- gangway!
- go around
- head
- locomotion
- manoeuvre
- mill around
- mobility
- mope
- mope around (somewhere)
- move
- round
- steer
- stir
- sway
- travel
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