Definitions for motive
ˈmoʊ tɪvmo·tive

Princeton's WordNet(4.12 / 8 votes)Rate this definition:

1. motivation, motive, neednoun

   the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior

   "we did not understand his motivation"; "he acted with the best of motives"

2. motif, motivenoun

   a theme that is repeated or elaborated in a piece of music

3. motif, motiveadjective

   a design or figure that consists of recurring shapes or colors, as in architecture or decoration

4. motive(a), motoradjective

   causing or able to cause motion

   "a motive force"; "motive power"; "motor energy"

5. motivative(a), motive(a), motivatingadjective

   impelling to action

   "it may well be that ethical language has primarily a motivative function"- Arthur Pap; "motive pleas"; "motivating arguments"

Wiktionary(3.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. motivenoun

   An incentive to act; a reason for doing something; anything that prompted a choice of action.

2. motivenoun

   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.

3. motiveverb

   To prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move.

4. motiveadjective

   Causing motion; having power to move, or tending to move; as, a motive argument; motive power.

5. motiveadjective

   Relating to motion and/or to its cause

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Motiveadjective

   Etymology: motivus, Latin.

   1. Causing motion; having moment.

   Shall every motive argument used in such kind of conferences be made a rule for others still to conclude the like by, concerning all things of like nature, when as probable inducements may lead them to the contrary? Richard Hooker, b. iv.

   2. Having the power to move; having power to change place; having power to pass foremost to motion.

   The nerves serve for the conveyance of the motive faculty from the brain; the ligatures for the strengthening of them, that they may not flag in motion. John Wilkins.

   We ask you whence does motive vigour flow? Richard Blackmore.

   That fancy is easily disproved from the motive power of souls embodied, and the gradual increase of men and animals. Richard Bentley.

2. Motivenoun

   Etymology: motis, French.

   1. That which determines the choice; that which incites the action.

   Hereof we have no commandment, either in nature or scripture, which doth exact them at our hands; yet those motives there are in both, which draw most effectually our minds unto them. Richard Hooker, b. ii.

   Why in that rawness left you wife and children,
   Those precious motives, those strong knots of love,
   Without leave-taking? William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

   What can be a stronger motive to a firm trust on our Maker, than the giving us his son to suffer for us. Addison.

   The motive for continuing in the same state is only the present satisfaction in it; the motive to change is always some uneasiness. John Locke.

   2. Mover.

   Heaven brought me up to be my daughter’s dower;
   As it hath fated her to be my motive
   And helper to a husband. William Shakespeare, All’s well that ends well.

   Her wanton spirits look out
   At every joint, and motive of her body. William Shakespeare.

Webster Dictionary(3.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Motivenoun

   that which moves; a mover

2. Motivenoun

   that which incites to action; anything prompting or exciting to choise, or moving the will; cause; reason; inducement; object

3. Motivenoun

   the theme or subject; a leading phrase or passage which is reproduced and varied through the course of a comor a movement; a short figure, or melodic germ, out of which a whole movement is develpoed. See also Leading motive, under Leading

4. Motivenoun

   that which produces conception, invention, or creation in the mind of the artist in undertaking his subject; the guiding or controlling idea manifested in a work of art, or any part of one

5. Motiveadjective

   causing motion; having power to move, or tending to move; as, a motive argument; motive power

6. Motiveverb

   to prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Motive

   A motive, in law, especially criminal law, is the cause that moves people to induce a certain action. Motive, in itself, is not an element of any given crime; however, the legal system typically allows motive to be proven in order to make plausible the accused's reasons for committing a crime, at least when those motives may be obscure or hard to identify with. The law technically distinguishes between motive and intent. "Intent" in criminal law is synonymous with mens rea, which means no more than the specific mental purpose to perform a deed that is forbidden by a criminal statute, or the reckless disregard of whether the law will be violated. "Motive" describes instead the reasons in the accused's background and station in life that are supposed to have induced the crime. Motive is particularly important in prosecutions for homicide. First, murder is so drastic a crime that most people recoil from the thought of being able to do it; proof of motive explains why the accused did so desperate an act. Moreover, most common law jurisdictions have statutes that provide for degrees of homicide, based in part on the accused's mental state. The lesser offence of voluntary manslaughter, for example, traditionally required that the accused knowingly and voluntarily kill the victim; in addition, it must be shown that the killing took place in the "sudden heat of passion," an excess of rage or anger coming from a contemporary provocation, which clouded the accused's judgment. Homicides motivated by such factors are a lesser offense than murder "in cold blood."

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Motive

   mō′tiv, adj. causing motion: having power to cause motion.—n. that which moves or excites to action: inducement: reason.—v.t. to act on as a motive, instigate.—v.t. Mō′tivāte, to act on as a motive, induce.—n. Motivā′tion.—adj. Mōtiveless.—ns. Mō′tivelessness; Mō′tive-power, or -force, the force acting upon a body so as to cause it to move; Motiv′ity, power of producing motion: the quality of being influenced by motion. [Fr., through Low L., from movēre, mōtum to move.]

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. motive

   Song lyrics by motive -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by motive on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Theme

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'motive' in Nouns Frequency: #1796

Anagrams for motive »

1. move it

How to pronounce motive?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say motive in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of motive in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of motive in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of motive in a Sentence

1. Prime Minister Scott Morrison:

   It's a pretty honest question, with an honest intent and an honest motive. And I'm seeing more and more support for that position.

2. Kendra Wilkinson:

   Holly, you can tell, had this ulterior motive every minute being at the Mansion, and that motive was -- it was clear as day -- she wanted Hef's kids, she wanted a piece of Playboy and she wanted to marry Hef for, obviously, his will.

3. James Boswell:

   To act from pure benevolence is not possible for finite beings. Human benevolence is mingled with vanity, interest, or some other motive.

4. Gregory Pagano:

   These are tall tales of enemies settling old scores – not because they had personal experiences with him but because of what group he’s identified with, there is no greater motive than revenge.

5. Metropolitan Nashville Police:

   Travis Reinking's murdered four times with no apparent reason and no apparent motive. So we're very concerned.

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