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Definition
to make someone want to do something- We pay low salary, but high commission to motivate our salespeople to work hard and smart.
motivate = make someone want to do something
- She is not a very motivated student.
- Authorities believe the crime was racially motivated.
- She is motivated by a sincere desire to help others.
- The opposing player's tweet motivated the team to want a win.
- Increased price will motivate increased production.
- I think the decision was motivated by self-interest.
- In many ways, the things motivating me now are the same as they were back when I was playing Pop Warner.Tim Tebow -- Through My Eyes
- "It's just been my experience that some kinds of working relationships are better motivated by fear than by monetary gain."Stephenie Meyer -- Breaking Dawn
- I don't know a lot about my father's life before World War II or the reasons that motivated him to leave us with my mother in Wisconsin.W. William Winokur -- The Perfect Game
- It is the whole secret of their power—that it was self-sufficient, self-motivated, self-generated.Ayn Rand -- The Fountainhead
- Norris and Taft, it is argued, were motivated more by blind isolationism than Constitutional principles.John F. Kennedy -- Profiles in Courage
- The smells of antiseptic and astringent seemed to energize him, and the feelings generated by human trauma and fear seemed to motivate him.Sampon Davis, et. al. -- We Beat the Street
- For all I know, I'm on live television at this very moment while commentators try to analyze what could possibly have motivated me to kill Coin.Suzanne Collins -- Mockingjay
- I was lethargic, unmotivated.John Grogan -- Marley & Me
- He was exceedingly motivated to get clients to the summit, especially a celebrity client like Sandy Hill Pittman.Jon Krakauer -- Into Thin Air
- I opened my eyes and saw a room full of flowers, and their scent motivated me further.Nicholas Sparks -- The Notebook
- It was supposed to do wonders for children like Eliza, bright but unmotivated, who would rather shovel manure than read.Judy Blume -- In the Unlikely Event
- In fact, I think his visits are largely motivated by his need for a nap.Suzanne Collins -- Mockingjay
- You said partly motivated.Ted Dekker -- BoneMan's Daughters
motivated = enthusiastic (wanting to do something)
motivated = done for the reason just stated
motivated = made to want to do something
motivated = made someone want to do something
motivate = provide a reason (to make something happen)
motivated = provided with a reason (to do something)
(editor's note: The prefix "un-" in unmotivated means not and reverses the meaning of motivated. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.)
(editor's note: The prefix "un-" in unmotivated means not and reverses the meaning of motivated. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.)
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