Synonyms for motive
ˈmoʊ tɪv

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. motivation, motive, need(noun)

   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"

   Synonyms:
   indigence, need, motivating, demand, pauperization, want, motivation, pauperism, motif, penury

   Antonyms:
   noncausal, noncausative

2. motif, motive(noun)

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

   Synonyms:
   motivation, motif, need, theme

   Antonyms:
   noncausal, noncausative

3. motif, motive(adj)

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

   Synonyms:
   motivation, motif, need, theme

   Antonyms:
   noncausal, noncausative

4. motive(a), motor(adj)

   causing or able to cause motion

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

   Antonyms:
   noncausative, noncausal

5. motivative(a), motive(a), motivating(adj)

   impelling to action

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

   Antonyms:
   noncausal, noncausative

Wiktionary(2.00 / 1 vote)Rate these synonyms:

1. motive(noun)

   Synonyms:
   motivation, motif, motivate, moving, motional

2. motive(noun)

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

   Synonyms:
   motivation, motif, motivate, motional, moving

3. motive(noun)

   Relating to motion and/or to its cause

   If you listen carefully, you can hear the flutes mimicking the cello motive.

   Synonyms:
   motif, motivation, moving, motional

English Synonyms and Antonyms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. motive

   The efficient cause, that which makes anything to be or be done, is the common meaning of the word, as in the saying "There is no effect without a cause." Every man instinctively recognizes himself acting through will as the cause of his own actions. The Creator is the Great First Cause of all things. A condition is something that necessarily precedes a result, but does not produce it. An antecedent simply precedes a result, with or without any agency in producing it; as, Monday is the invariable antecedent of Tuesday, but not the cause of it. The direct antonym of cause is effect, while that of antecedent is consequent. An occasion is some event which brings a cause into action at a particular moment; gravitation and heat are the causes of an avalanche; the steep incline of the mountain-side is a necessary condition, and the shout of the traveler may be the occasion of its fall. Causality is the doctrine or principle of causes, causation the action or working of causes. Compare DESIGN; REASON.

   Synonyms:
   actor, agent, antecedent, author, causality, causation, cause, condition, creator, designer, former, fountain, occasion, origin, originator, power, precedent, reason, reason, source, spring

   Antonyms:
   consequence, creation, development, effect, end, end, event, fruit, issue, outcome, outgrowth, product, result

   Preposition:
   The cause of the disaster; cause for interference.

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. motive

   Synonyms:
   inducement, purpose, design, prompting, stimulus, reason, impulse, incitement

   Antonyms:
   execution, action, effort, deed, attempt, project, preventive, deterrent, dissuasive

Dictionary of English Synonymes(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. motive(n.)

   Synonyms:
   inducement, incentive, impulse, incitement, stimulus, prompting, influence, reason, ground, principle, consideration, cause, occasion, prime mover, why and wherefore

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. motive(n)

   Synonyms:
   incentive, inducement, incitement

PPDB, the paraphrase database(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. List of paraphrases:

   motivation, mobile, reason, ground, incentive, motif

How to pronounce motive?

Alex

US English

Daniel

British

Karen

Australian

Veena

Indian

How to say motive in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use motive in a sentence?

1. Mikko Hypponen:

   The attackers have no motive whatsoever for their DDoS attacks against Sony or Microsoft.

2. Andrew Weissmann:

   This goes to the larger view of what we think is going on, and what we think the motive here is, this goes, I think, very much to the heart of what the Special Counsel's Office is investigating.

3. Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2:

   On action alone be thy interest,Never on its fruits.Let not the fruits of action be thy motive,Nor be thy attachment to inaction.

4. Jim Gerrow:

   Both McClure and Bobbitt've indicated throughout it's my view that Mr. D'Amico is the real agent provocateur in this matter. Kate's role from the beginning was to help Mr. Johnny Bobbitt, katelyn McClure has been strong. Katelyn McClure's devastated by this and has been, but Both McClure and Bobbitt look to the sentencings in federal and state courts and hopefully Both McClure and Bobbitt can find sufficient evidence to convince both judges of Katelyn McClure role and the fact that throughout this Katelyn McClure started out with benign motive, Katelyn McClure hope to help Johnny Bobbitt and not to enrich Katelyn McClure or anyone else.

5. 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.

Images & Illustrations of motive