motivation

noun

mo·​ti·​va·​tion ˌmō-tə-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce motivation (audio)
Synonyms of motivationnext
1
a
: the act or process of motivating
Some students need motivation to help them through school.
b
: the condition of being motivated
employees who lack motivation
2
: a motivating force, stimulus, or influence : incentive, drive
the Old Testament heroes added religious motivation to the waging of war— Richard Humble
The fear of failure was the motivation for his achievements.
motivational
ˌmō-tə-ˈvā-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce motivation (audio)
adjective
motivationally adverb

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of motivation in a Sentence

Some students need motivation to help them through school. Many people have questioned her motivations in choosing to run for office at this time.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Over the decades his methods and motivations have been the subject of intense scrutiny and not a little criticism. — Jem Aswad, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025 San Diego State coach Sean Lewis brings in speakers from time to time who can provide motivation, education and inspiration to the football team. — Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025 Remembering past disappointments serves as inspiration and motivation for me. 10. — Stephanie Dillon, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2025 Working with young people who lacked the motivation and inspiration that had shaped his own life, Walker recognized a critical gap. — Melissa Noel, Essence, 2 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for motivation

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of motivation was in 1873

Rhymes for motivation

See All Rhymes for motivation

Browse Nearby Words

motivated
motivation
motivator
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Motivation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motivation. Accessed 14 Aug. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

motivation

noun
mo·​ti·​va·​tion ˌmōt-ə-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce motivation (audio)
1
a
: the act or process of motivating
b
: the condition of being motivated
2
: a motivating force or influence : incentive

Medical Definition

motivation

noun
mo·​ti·​va·​tion ˌmōt-ə-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce motivation (audio)
1
a
: the act or process of motivating
b
: the condition of being motivated
2
: a motivating force, stimulus, or influence (as a drive or incentive)
lacks the motivation to lose weight
motivational
-shnəl, -shən-ᵊl How to pronounce motivation (audio)
adjective
motivationally
-ē How to pronounce motivation (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on motivation

Nglish: Translation of motivation for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about motivation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Hypercorrections: Are you making these 6 common mistakes?

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Using Bullet Points ( • )

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

12 Words Whose History Will Surprise You

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
retro style illustration of a tv with shapes and lightening bolts coming from the screen
Pop Culture Vocab Quiz “Embiggen,” “regift,” “friend zone” a...
See All