motive
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also Motive
Contents |
English [edit]
Etymology [edit]
Verb: From Medieval Latin motivus (“serving to move, motive”), from Latin motus, past participle of movere (“to move”).
Noun: From Middle English motif, from Old French motif, from Medieval Latin motivum (“a motive, moving cause”), neuter of motivus (“serving to move”): see verb.
Pronunciation [edit]
Noun [edit]
motive (plural motives)
- An incentive to act; a reason for doing something; anything that prompted a choice of action.
- 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, chapter 10/6, Death Walks in Eastrepps[1]:
- “Why should Eldridge commit murder? […] There was only one possible motive—namely, he wished to avoid detection as James Selby of Anaconda Ltd. […] ”
- A motif; a theme or subject, especially one that is central to the work or often repeated.
- If you listen carefully, you can hear the flutes mimicking the cello motive.
Synonyms [edit]
- (incentive) motivation
- (creative works) motif
Translations [edit]
that which incites to action
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theme or subject
guiding or controlling idea manifested in a work of art
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
Verb [edit]
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.
Synonyms [edit]
Translations [edit]
Adjective [edit]
motive (not comparable)
- Causing motion; having power to move, or tending to move; as, a motive argument; motive power.
- 1658, Sir Thomas Browne, The Garden of Cyrus, Folio Society 2007, p. 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.
- 1658, Sir Thomas Browne, The Garden of Cyrus, Folio Society 2007, p. 195:
- Relating to motion and/or to its cause
Synonyms [edit]
Translations [edit]
causing motion
Relating to motion and/or to its cause
External links [edit]
- motive in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- motive in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
- motive at OneLook Dictionary Search
Anagrams [edit]
French [edit]
Verb [edit]
motive
Latin [edit]
Adjective [edit]
mōtive
- vocative masculine singular of mōtivus
Romanian [edit]
Pronunciation [edit]
- IPA: [moˈtive]
Noun [edit]
motive n pl
- Plural form of motiv
Serbo-Croatian [edit]
Noun [edit]
motive (Cyrillic spelling мотиве)
Spanish [edit]
Verb [edit]
motive (infinitive motivar)
- Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of motivar.
- First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of motivar.
- Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of motivar.
- Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present subjunctive form of motivar.
Portuguese [edit]
Verb [edit]
motive
Categories:
- English terms derived from Medieval Latin
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English nouns
- English verbs
- English adjectives
- English uncomparable adjectives
- French verbs
- Latin adjective forms
- Romanian plurals
- Serbo-Croatian noun forms
- Spanish verb forms
- Spanish verb imperative forms
- Spanish verb singular forms
- Spanish verb second-person forms
- Spanish verb formal forms
- Spanish forms of verbs ending in -ar
- Spanish verb subjunctive forms
- Spanish verb first-person forms
- Spanish verb present forms
- Spanish verb third-person forms
- Portuguese verb forms
