Meaning & use
motive
A reason or underlying purpose that drives a person to act in a particular way.
See it in a sentence
Detectives struggled to find a clear motive behind the seemingly random break-in.
Her motive for volunteering was simple: she wanted to give back to her community.
A note on using this word
Motive is most often used in discussions of crime or behavior, asking why someone acted rather than what they did.
Words with a similar meaning
reasonincentive
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Make it your own
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