9 uses
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1 —8 uses as in:
What is her motive?
Definition
a reason for doing something
- Mrs. Penniman was scared and bewildered; she saw no prospect of introducing her little account of the purity of Morris's motives.Chapter 30 (84% in)
- Townsend is not old enough, then; his motives may be pure.Chapter 6 (95% in)
- It is very possible that his motives are pure; I should be very sorry to take the contrary for granted.Chapter 6 (95% in)
- The Doctor thought it very vulgar to be precipitate in accusing people of mercenary motives, inasmuch as his door had as yet not been in the least besieged by fortune-hunters; and, lastly, he was very curious to see whether Catherine might really be loved for her moral worth.Chapter 7 (18% in)
- He was perhaps right, after all, to think as he did; by which Catherine meant not in the least that his judgement of Morris's motives in seeking to marry her was perhaps a just one, but that it was probably natural and proper that conscientious parents should be suspicious and even unjust.Chapter 15 (48% in)
- It must, however, have been in pure simplicity, and from motives quite untouched by sarcasm, that, a few moments after, she went on to say to Morris that her father had given her a message for him.Chapter 20 (63% in)
- Mrs. Penniman, who was shocked at her sister's coarseness, replied that he had been actuated by the noblest of motives—the desire not to impoverish Catherine.Chapter 31 (12% in)
- She had guessed for herself that Catherine had been cruelly jilted—she knew nothing from Mrs. Penniman, for Mrs. Penniman had not ventured to lay the famous explanation of Morris's motives before Mrs. Almond, though she had thought it good enough for Catherine—and she pronounced her brother too consistently indifferent to what the poor creature must have suffered and must still be suffering.Chapter 32 (21% in)
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Typical Usage
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? —1 use
exact meaning not specified
- Mrs. Penniman was perfectly aware that her brother's motive in undertaking a foreign tour was to lay a trap for Catherine's constancy; and she imparted this conviction very frankly to her niece.Chapter 23 (11% in)
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Typical Usage
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