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Wiktionary

motive

See also: Motive and motivé

English

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Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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Noun

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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: […] 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, music) Alternative form of motif
    If you listen carefully, you can hear the flutes mimicking the cello motive.

Derived terms

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English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *mew- (0 c, 2 e)

Translations

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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

Verb

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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

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Adjective

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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
    • 1929, Arthur Lourié, “An Inquiry into Melody”, in Modern Music, volume VII, number 1, page 10:
      Debussy's melody is fractional, fragmentary. But at the core all his music is melodic and melody is its main motive force.

Translations

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Further reading

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Anagrams

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French

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Verb

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motive

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

Latin

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Adjective

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mōtīve

  1. vocative masculine singular of mōtīvus

Portuguese

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Verb

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motive

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

Romanian

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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motive

  1. plural of motiv

Serbo-Croatian

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Noun

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motive (Cyrillic spelling мотиве)

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

Spanish

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Pronunciation

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

Verb

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motive

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

Turkish

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Etymology

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Borrowed from French motivé, past participle of motiver.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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motive

  1. motivated

Declension

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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 terms

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