motivation

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UK/ˈməʊ.tɪ.veɪ.ʃən/US/ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/US[ˈmoʊ.ɾə.veɪ.ʃn̩]

noun

Willingness of action especially in behavior.

Similar
impetusanimusmotiveneedmotivating
OriginEnglish motive ← Middle English motif ← Late Latin mōtīvum →
CommonScrabble 15
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Meanings

nounmotivation (plural motivations)

plural motivations

  1. Willingness of action especially in behavior.
  2. The action of motivating.
  3. Something which motivates.

    Synonyms: impetus, animus

  4. An incentive or reason for doing something.
  5. advertisingA research rating that measures how the rational and emotional elements of a commercial affect consumer intention to consider, visit, or buy something.

    The motivation scores showed that 65% of people wanted to visit our website to learn more about the offer after watching the commercial.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounSomething which motivates.

Similar
impetusanimus

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe 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

Similar
motiveneed
Broader
psychological feature

nounthe act of motivating; providing incentive

Similar
motivating
Broader
actdeedhuman action
Also see
driveget-up-and-goinspirationmotivatingmotiveneed

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Anglo-Normanmotif
  2. Middle Frenchmotif
  3. Proto-Indo-European*m(y)ewh₁-
  4. Proto-Indo-European*m(y)owh₁éyeti
  5. Proto-Italic*moweō
  6. Latinmoveō
  7. Latinmōtus
  8. Late Latinmōtīvum
  9. Middle Englishmotif
  10. Englishmotive
  11. Englishmotivation

From motive (verb) + -ation, probably after French motivation and German Motivation.

More words from French, German

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans motivering
  • motiveringwillingness of action especially in behavior
Arabic دَافِع, دافِع
  • دَافِع (dāfiʕ)willingness of action especially in behavior
  • دافِع (dāfiʕ)something which motivates
Bulgarian мотива́ция, подбу́да
  • мотива́ция (motivácija)willingness of action especially in behavior
  • подбу́да (podbúda)something which motivates
  • основание (osnovanie)reason for doing something
Catalan motivació, motivació
  • motivaciówillingness of action especially in behavior
  • motivacióaction of motivating
  • motivaciósomething which motivates
  • motivacióreason for doing something
  • motivacióresearch rating that measures how a commercial affects consumer intention
Chinese Mandarin 動機 /动机, 推動力 /推动力
  • 動機 /动机 (dòngjī)willingness of action especially in behavior
  • 推動力 /推动力 (tuīdònglì)willingness of action especially in behavior
Czech motivace
  • motivacewillingness of action especially in behavior
Dutch motivatie
  • motivatiewillingness of action especially in behavior
Esperanto motivo
  • motivoreason for doing something
Estonian motivatsioon
  • motivatsioonwillingness of action especially in behavior
Finnish motivaatio, motivaatio
  • motivaatiowillingness of action especially in behavior
  • motivaatioaction of motivating
  • motivaatioreason for doing something
French motivation
  • motivationwillingness of action especially in behavior
German Motivation, Motivierung
  • Motivationwillingness of action especially in behavior
  • Motivierungwillingness of action especially in behavior
Greek προθυμία, κίνητρο
  • προθυμία (prothymía)willingness of action especially in behavior
  • κίνητρο (kínitro)reason for doing something
Hebrew מוֹטִיבַצְיָה
  • מוֹטִיבַצְיָה (motivátsya)willingness of action especially in behavior
Hindi अभिप्रेरण, प्रेरणा
  • अभिप्रेरण (abhipreraṇ)willingness of action especially in behavior
  • प्रेरणा (prerṇā)willingness of action especially in behavior
  • प्रेरणा (prerṇā)something which motivates
  • प्रेरणा (prerṇā)reason for doing something
Indonesian motivasi, motivasi
  • motivasiwillingness of action especially in behavior
  • motivasireason for doing something
Irish spreagadh, inspreagadh
  • spreagadhwillingness of action especially in behavior
  • inspreagadhwillingness of action especially in behavior
  • siocairreason for doing something
Italian motivazione
  • motivazionewillingness of action especially in behavior
Japanese 動機, モチベーション
  • 動機 (dōki)willingness of action especially in behavior
  • モチベーション (mochibēshon)willingness of action especially in behavior
Korean 동기
  • 동기 (donggi)willingness of action especially in behavior
Latvian motivācija
  • motivācijawillingness of action especially in behavior
Lithuanian motyvacija
  • motyvacijawillingness of action especially in behavior
Malay motivasi
  • motivasiwillingness of action especially in behavior
Māori whakahihikotanga
  • whakahihikotangaaction of motivating
Norwegian Bokmål motivasjon
  • motivasjonwillingness of action especially in behavior
Persian انگیزه, برانگیزش
  • انگیزه (angize)willingness of action especially in behavior
  • برانگیزش (barângizeš)willingness of action especially in behavior
  • انگیزش (angizeš)willingness of action especially in behavior
  • انگیزش (angizeš)action of motivating
  • تحریک (tahrik)action of motivating
  • انگیزه (angize)something which motivates
  • محرک (moharrek)something which motivates
  • انگیزه (angize)reason for doing something
Polish motywacja, motywacja
  • motywacjawillingness of action especially in behavior
  • motywacjaaction of motivating
  • motywacjasomething which motivates
  • motywacjareason for doing something
Portuguese motivação, motivação
  • motivaçãowillingness of action especially in behavior
  • motivaçãosomething which motivates
  • motivoreason for doing something
Romanian motivație, motivare
  • motivațiewillingness of action especially in behavior
  • motivareaction of motivating
Russian мотива́ция
  • мотива́ция (motivácija)willingness of action especially in behavior
Slovak motivácia
  • motiváciawillingness of action especially in behavior
Spanish motivación, motivación
  • motivaciónwillingness of action especially in behavior
  • motivaciónaction of motivating
  • motivaciónsomething which motivates
  • motivantesomething which motivates
  • motivaciónreason for doing something
  • motivantereason for doing something
Swedish motivation
  • motivationwillingness of action especially in behavior
Tagalog kagnyakan, saganyak
  • kagnyakanwillingness of action especially in behavior
  • saganyakwillingness of action especially in behavior
Thai แรงจูงใจ
  • แรงจูงใจ (rɛɛng-juung-jai)willingness of action especially in behavior
Turkish güdü, motivasyon
  • güdüwillingness of action especially in behavior
  • motivasyonwillingness of action especially in behavior
Ukrainian мотива́ція
  • мотива́ція (motyvácija)willingness of action especially in behavior

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with motivation

informationeducationlocationapplicationassociationadministrationorganizationcorporationregistrationAsianfoundationcommunicationpopulationnavigationstationaccommodationoperationpublicationvacationtransportationevaluationimplementationinstallationnation
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

motivation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/motivation

MLA

“motivation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/motivation. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “motivation,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/motivation.

Source: motivation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.