motivation

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The energy, interest or willingness that makes a person keep working toward a goal.

   Grammar: Usually no article: she has plenty of motivation, not a motivation.

   Patterns

   • motivation to do something
   • motivation for something
   • lose motivation

   I have no motivation to exercise when it is dark outside.

   Good teachers know how to build motivation in their students.

   Her motivation for learning Spanish was to talk with her grandmother.

2. 2nouncountable

   A particular reason or need that explains why someone acts in a certain way.

   Grammar: Often plural or with a: the police could not find a motivation for the crime.

   Patterns

   • motivation behind something
   • motivation for something

   Money was the main motivation behind his decision to move.

   Investigators could not identify a clear motivation for the attack.

   The characters in the novel have very different motivations.

3. 3noununcountableformal

   The act of encouraging or inspiring someone to do something.

   Grammar: Often used for management or teaching: the motivation of staff.

   Patterns

   • the motivation of someone

   The motivation of employees is a key part of a manager's job.

   Rewards and praise are common tools of motivation in the classroom.

   Her speech was designed for the motivation of the whole team.

Word forms

Common combinations

lack of motivation

A lack of motivation can make studying very hard.

lose motivation

Many beginners lose motivation after the first month.

boost motivation

Small rewards can boost motivation at work.

strong motivation

She had a strong motivation to finish the degree.

the motivation behind

What was the motivation behind the change in policy?

self-motivation

Working from home requires a lot of self-motivation.

Synonyms and how they differ

drive

Drive suggests a strong inner force, often personality-based, while motivation can also be an outside reason.

incentive

An incentive is an external reward or benefit that encourages action, whereas motivation can come from within.

inspiration

Inspiration is a sudden or uplifting spark of ideas, while motivation is the steady push to act.

reason

Reason is the plain word for why something happens, while motivation points to personal wants or needs.

Opposites

Word family

motivate verb

to give someone a reason or desire to act

motivated adjective

eager and willing to work hard

motivational adjective

intended to inspire people

motive noun

the reason behind an action, often in crime

unmotivated adjective

lacking interest or drive

Commonly confused: motivation or motive?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “motivation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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